Pain in the Axel
by LightxxDark
Summary: Our dear pyro fanatic is up to no good again... Poor Roxas, what did he get himself into...? NO pairiings. Comedy story... Bad summary Well.. this isnt exactly a summary.. REAL summary is inside xD.. Read? WARNING: not my story...
1. Roxas' Awakening

Summary: Can't really be bothered writing a LONG summary so I will keep this really short... Lets just say, Axel and Roxas goes around pranking the organization at midnight well... more like morning...

Disclaimer: I don't like to write/type this for all the chapters so... I will only say this once... I do not own Kingdom Hearts.. Which is just so sad... AND this is not my story (for people who JUST started to read this...

Like a reviewer said: full credit goes to dragonova... (i wrote i sort of an apology in chapter 4 and the reason why its up here in teh first place...)

Anyways, Enjoy! xD

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**Chapter 1: Roxas' Awakening**

It was dark; that deep void that can only come from the late hours of the night. Nobody could have seen in that kind of darkened veil that had fallen over the castle. And nobody in his or her right mind would have wanted to. One would normally think grim darkness of the World that Never Was would remain a constant through out the hours, but this was not true. Only the inhabitants of such a world could understand what true darkness the night held in such a place. Its icy fingers reached into every inch of the land shadowing everything it touched in a sort of abyss that would make one feel like they'd never see the light again. This was the true reason the castle had halls of white marble. The pale moon of Kingdom Hearts would give off just the slightest reflected light on these cold corridors; it was the only thing keeping one from tripping over their own feet on the way to the bathroom.

The hour was very late; most had gone to sleep hours before hand, leaving the halls in still silence. However, there was a nobody stirring in the stillness. Gentle tip toeing footsteps echoed carefully in the night, slowly making their way down one of the long halls. Stopping every so often at the slightest hint of a sound. A pair of emerald eyes peered into the black; searching for movement only to focus back on the desired destination after they were satisfied they were alone. A hand reached out along the wall, sliding past smooth marble until it rested on a textured surface. It was a door, an ornately decorated door that seemed to put off the slightest bit of light even in the darkness of night from its ashen colour. The hand rested on the handle, and gently, slowly cracked it open. Holding it firmly and not making a move until the echoed 'click' died.

Ears strained against the small crack, listening to the room on the other side. There was silence only for a few moments, before a soft moan echoed followed by the gentle sound of breathing. Someone was sound asleep, stirring only for a moment when the air pressure in the room had changed. The dark hooded figure cracked the door open slowly, just enough to squeeze through, then stood in the shadows until his eyes were able to adjust to the dim moon light that streamed through the window's lacy curtains on the left.

It was a large room, with only the usual furnishings you would find in a bedroom. His eyes fell on the dresser, the desk, and then the bed. He stopped there, target found. The bed was occupied by a lump of blankets that slowly rose and fell with the breathing of the being that was snug underneath them. A large wicked smile flashed across the cloaked figure's shadowed face as he swiftly and silently crept up on the sleeping one like a lion getting ready for the kill.

He was almost to the bedside when something unthinkable happened...

"SQUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!!"

The hooded figure hit the floor like a solder in a battlefield, scrambling under the bed and out of sight just as the now fully awake figure of a teenage boy sat bolt up. There was a flash of light, and the young blond stood shakily in a fighting stance on the mattress, two keyblades of light and darkness firmly clasped in either hand. Frantically he scanned the room in a dazed state, only to find nothing but pale moonlight and shadows. The boy glanced to the side, out the window at the heart shaped 'moon'. His erratic breathing slowed as his eyes suddenly became unbearably heavy. He sighed and fell back to the warm pillow, as the keyblades seemed to dissolve into the air. He turned a few times and snorted as he flung the covers back over his head.

The hooded figure laid there in the shadow of the bed for a few minutes, listening, waiting for the sound of breathing to return to the steady rhythm. Then he slowly pulled himself out from under the bed, glancing at the floor where the offending squeaky stuffed toy sat. "What kind of teenage kid has a stupid stuffed Paopu dog toy on his floor...?" He muttered almost silently as he kicked the horrid star across the room. He then sat up; slowly peering over the edge of the bed at the lump of blankets his nose resting firmly on the edge of the mattress.

He kneeled closer until he was at the head of the bed, then he hovered halfway across, "Roxas... Roooooooooxaaaaaaaaaaas..." He called in a gentle whisper.

The lump grunted at him in answer, forcing him to duck out of sight. Waiting a moment before he leaned close again, "Roxas... I... Am... Your conscience... "

"G-g-go...a...awaaaaynnmmmm." The covers twisted as Roxas tried to block the sound.

"You need to listen to me, Roxas... Me... Your conscience..." The figure cooed eerily in the boy's ear. "You must change the way you're doing things, Roxas. It's wrong."

Roxas' breathing hitched slightly, proving that he was listening even in his dream state.

The intruder took the silence as consent to continue, "From now on you need to listen to your superiors, no matter what, especially that Axel. Now there's a bright and intelligent… And handsome... Loved by all…" His voice paused for a second and cleared his throat, "Ahem, he knows best, so you need to stop nagging him... And do whatever he says from now on…" The voice cooed like a lullaby, "got that memorized?"

"How would my conscience like a key blade shoved up his nose..." Roxas sat up suddenly, staring eye to hooded shadowed eye with 'his conscience'.

"Ouch... That would kinda hurt..." The cloaked man reached up and yanked the hood back, revealing fiery crimson hair in the silver moonlight. "Especially if it's the Oathkeeper one… That one's nasty... All those pointy little edges and..."

"What do you want?" Roxas glanced at the clock beside his bed, "AT THREE IN THE MORNING!!"

Axel fell silent, blinking innocently. "What I can't come and pay my best friend a visit..."

"At... Three... In... The ... Morning!! FOR THE LOVE OF MOOGLES!!" Roxas flopped over burying his face in his pillow and yanked the covers over his head.

"HE-Y!! I'm a friend in need here... You must come and help me seek revenge on my enemies!!" Axel whined at the lump of covers.

"Go away..." The covers grunted back.

"Please!!" Axel whined like a starved puppy.

"No... I WANT to SLEEP... Like a normal person at this time of night... They SLEEP!!" Roxas tugged at the pillow under him, making it curve over his head and muffle the whining sound.

"Normal? Since when have we been normal?" Axel snorted at his friend, but no sound came from the mound of covers. The levels of frustration finally reached his breaking point, "Fine... You wanna be difficult." Axel snorted then the room fell eerily silent.

Roxas lay there like a slug, eyes open, staring at the pattern of his blanket overhead. He felt the little bit of weight from Axel on the edge of the mattress shift and leave. Then there was nothing. No sound or movement. The comforter moved slightly as deep blue eyes peered just above the edge and scanned the space near the bed. In all the time he had joined Organization XIII and been friends with the overly energetic pyromaniac he had never known the man to leave that easily.

In a state of bewilderment, Roxas slowly sat up, his covers collecting around his waist before he kicked them off completely. "Axel?" He half whispered as he scanned the room. "Axel?" His voice rose slightly, echoing in the large space as he slowly slid out of bed and stumbled to the middle of the room.

The bedroom door was wide open, Roxas stumbled toward the entry reaching up with one hand and covering his eyes from the harsh light as he flicked on the lights. He blinked and strained to see into the darkness as he peeked out into the hallway. Finally he slowly turned and pulled the door shut. Staring back at his bed in shock. "Wow… I guess I ticked him off..." He scratched his head and yawned, "That's nice..." He smiled sleepily as he began to reach for the light switch and return to his warm covers.

He then lost all sense of balance and space. Time seemed to suddenly move in slow motion, as he felt weightless in mid air. The feeling passed quickly and was replaced with a sharp pain in his backside and a lack of air. He hit the ground hard, while the heavy weight that had knocked him off his feet sat comfortably on his stomach pinning his arms to the floor.

"Aaaaah ouchies…" The boy grunted, gasping for air.

"Roxas, Roxas, Roxas… When will you learn that you need to LISTEN to me…? And not make it hard on yourself like this…" Axel sighed from his perch.

"Ge…. Gg get OFF!!" Roxas coughed as the last of his air escaped him with the words.

"Will you help me?" Axel bargained.

"Nnnn… NO!" The blonde spat angrily.

"Why? I mean what kind of friend are you…?" A look of hurt flashed across the older one's face.

"A...A...all you…. W...Want to do… Is play stupid tricks on the others…. Jerk!" Roxas gasped stuttering from the lack of air.

"You leave me no choice…" Axel sat up a bit.

It took only a second for Roxas to recognize the stance his friend was taking, "NO…. Don't you dare…"

The next sound was Axel making an awful 'snark' noise as he worked up a good spit wad.

Roxas had had the unfortunate privilege to behold this 'talent' Axel was about to use on him. Those who went against Axel's wishes then had to undergo the 'slow-spit-ribbon-of-torture'. The vision flashed through his poor reeling mind. Demyx had said the wrong thing and instantly been tackled and pinned just like this. The last thing Roxas could recall before his stomach lurched and he was forced to leave the room was Demyx screaming in horror as the glistening sting was inches from his nose.

"NOOOOOO No NO NO no no no NOOOOOOOOO!!" Roxas frantically tried to escape but quickly found that he was still perfectly pinned. Axel was quite skilled at being a pain in one's backside, and he took this job very seriously.

"Help me?" Axel asked on last time.

"If you spit on me…. I'll throw up on you…" Roxas threatened through clenched teeth.

"Better not... I'm a chain puker. And I've got gravity on my side." Axel snickered.

"Fine… I'll help you…" Roxas finally gave in; he knew that his friend was not the type to back down once he made up his mind.

Axel jumped up, releasing his captive "Woot! Now let us rain some doom upon our doomed enemies!"

"Can't this wait, I mean… I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in…" He was cut off by his psychotic friend pulling him up to his feet and pushing him out the door, "Hey, wait, can't I even change my clothes?!"

"No time for that… Nice pjs by the way." He pointed at Roxas' swirly heart print pyjamas.

"Yeah thanks" Roxas sighed as he followed helplessly behind.

It was going to be a long horrible night, which would most likely result in flared tempers and them running for their lives come morning. But who stand against a tidal wave of fire like Axel, it best to just go with the flow and feign stupidity when the consequences come.


	2. Toying With Demyx

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**Chapter 2: Toying With Demyx**

Demyx will have to face a terror like no other; something he once loved will turn on him and test his sanity. What in the world has Axel planned for our poor Melodious Nocturne?

Gentle notes filled the air with a wordless lullaby, it was a beautiful yet sad tune plucked from the strings of an oversized guitar or maybe it was a sitar. Whatever the strange instrument, its master truly knew how to work the magic of song across its stings.

The notes slowed, and then there was a strange 'twang' noise as it stopped all together. The figure that sat on the stool in the middle of the room remained still, hunched over the instrument. A slight sigh escaped his lips as he leaned over and picked up a pen, scratching notes across a paper on the little table next to him. He surveyed his marks, tilting his head slightly. Soon a smile crossed his face before he began to hum the tune he had just played, he leaned back running his hand through his blond hair trailing back to the long tail that had fallen over his shoulder. He then strummed the instrument in tune with his gentle, quiet humming.

A loud creaking noise startled the musician from his thoughts, the music halted suddenly as the blond straitened and stared at the door to his room, wide eyed and straining to hear like a cat that had seen something invisible pass by.

The sound came again, eerily creaking. Like something was trying to sneak up in the darkness outside the room. He slowly set the sitar down, stealthfully sneaking across the room toward his bathroom door, eyes locked on the opposite door that led to the hallway outside. He quickly disappeared into the safety of his white tiled ducky themed bathroom.

The door creaked open as Axel and Roxas quickly slipped inside, Axel snatched up the Sitar and pulled a small black box from his pocket and taped it to the back of the instrument before he quietly leaned it back against the stool once more. He then turned and left as quickly as he had entered, grabbing Roxas by his PJ's collar on the way and dragging him back out.

"Why Demyx? YOU ALWAYS nail him... One of these days the guy's going to have some sort of mental break down and go all psychotic and kill us all in our sleep... Because of you!" Roxas hissed and shoved Axel, forcing him to relinquish his grasp on his short collar.

"That's because he's always doing something stupid... He must learn... And he's already psychotic... So it doesn't matter." Axel whispered as he pulled out another small black box, pulling out a long antenna attached to it and settling to a comfortable spot near the door.

Roxas eyed the suspicious looking object clutched in his friend's hand. "And what, may I ask, is that for?"

"You'll see in a minute." Axel peeked back through the open doorway over toward the bathroom. He pulled it shut until there was just a crack to see through and waited until he saw Demyx re-emerge with a bat in hand.

Axel snorted, "He keeps a bat in his bathroom? What an idiot."

"Well, it's the only place where you can get cornered so why not have a weapon in there." Roxas was leaning over his friend, taking a quick peek at the scene before he slid down the wall and seated himself next to Axel.

Axel looked up and him as he did so, blinking, "Don't tell me you have a bat in your bathroom too."

"Of course not!" Roxas' voice cracked like he was disgusted, "I've got a sword on the wall above the mirror."

"WHY? You can summon keyblades out of thin air, why would you need a sword in your bathroom, ya freak?" Axel rubbed his temple like it was starting to pain him.

"WHAT?! It's part of the décor, and what if someday I CAN'T summon the keyblades? What then? Huh?" Roxas snarled at Axel.

"So you'll fight off unseen evils with a mere sword you keep in your john... Yeah great." Axel leaned closer, "So some time in the future when we're on the battle field somewhere and your powers crap out on you... I'll tell them to wait while you run to the bathroom."

Roxas started to open his mouth, but was cut off by a strangled squeal that was supposed to be a threat coming from Demyx's room.

"ALL RIGHT! I...uh...I know someone's there..." Demyx paused, his breath shallow and rapid, "COME OUT NOW!!... And I won't get hurt... I mean I won't hurt you..."

"What a dork..." Roxas chuckled quietly.

Axel lifted the little black box, while holding a finger up to silence Roxas. "Oh yeah, that was intimidating..." He said into the box, his voice sounding out higher pitched like a little chipmunk through the Sitar leaning against the stool.

"DEMON SITAR!!" Demyx screamed like a little girl, flinging the bat into the air as he ran back to the safety of the bathroom.

"What the... GET BACK OUT HERE YOU COWARD!! I'M NOT POSSESED!!" The Sitar commanded.

Demyx leaned his head out the bathroom door, shaking the whole time, "b...b...but... You're... Not..."

"What? Not a living creature..." The sitar snorted and then laughed.

"Y...yeah... So... Something's got to..." He stuttered.

"Tch... You're such an idiot... I'm here to help you, MORON..." It squeaked in anger.

"But... If you're really my Sitar..." Demyx whispered.

"Spit it out man..."

"Why are you being so mean to me!?" Tears began to well up in his eyes as he started to crawl out from behind the bathroom door.

"Because... I love you..."

Roxas choked and slapped his hands over his mouth glancing at Axel out of the corner of his eye. Axel was strait faced; yet a wicked smirk was tugging at the corner of his mouth as he continued,

"Love hurts... And all that..." The sitar added.

"Uuuuh..." Demyx was starting to inch backwards into the bathroom again, slowly, like he was trying to escape an angry cobra.

"GET BACK OUT HERE!!" The sitar barked like a small poodle

"Yes ma'am..." He jumped out of the bathroom and then started to fidget... "You're a girl right... 'Cause that last comment would be a little um... Odd..."

"I'm a sitar you poor fool... Gender is not an issue here" the instrument sighed.

Demyx stared at it, fighting the urge to run.

"I'm talking to you now because you need help... BAD..." His instrument groaned.

"I do?" Demyx stood and inched a little closer.

"Yes! You poor, poor child... I mean, look at you!" It squeaked.

Demyx looked behind him, and then down at his toes like he was looking for someone. "Uuuh"

"I've been with you for... Years... And look at you! I just can't stay quiet anymore... I mean, how in the world do you even take care of yourself! You're such a baby!"

"I am not!" Demyx protested, coming a little closer.

"Just now, you heard something and ran to the bathroom to get a bat! WHY!?"

He scuffed his foot on the ground while he hung his head in shame. "So I could pummel anything that was trying to get..." The Sitar suddenly cut him off.

"But why!? You control water, man! Why didn't you just hang on to me and attack with water!!" The sitar cried.

Demyx jerked his head up, looking shocked, "oh yeah..."

"Oh for the love of heartless... COME HERE... SIT!" It barked again.

Demyx obeyed running up and plunking down like an obedient pup. "Yes!"

"From now on... I want you to think things through. When something like that happens... Stop... And listen..." The sitar fell silent.

"What am I listening for?" Demyx whispered.

"Your brain... Every one has one... You should actually use it sometimes."

Demyx's glared at the Sitar, "I don't think you really care! You're just being mean to me."

"You're like a poor child. And children must be taught in words that they can understand, now listen. When danger comes… You… Will..."

"Run." Demyx half snorted half chuckled.

"STAY AND FIGHT!! With your Element!! GOT IT MEMORIZED?!"

Demyx fell blank, his blue eyes wide as his mind registered the words he had just heard. He simply sat staring at his beloved, yet strangely cruel sitar as shock slowly crept across his face.

Roxas jerked and hissed at Axel, "YOU IDIOT!! He knows!!"

Axel placed a hand over the radio, "what? What'd I say?"

All Roxas could do was groan and let his head fall into his hands in defeat.

Meanwhile back in the room, the shock finally wore off Demyx. In a flurry of black leather whipping about him he was swiftly attached to the ceiling light that hung above them in the middle of the room. "YOU ATE AXEL!! AND NOW YOU WANNA EAT ME!! That's why you wanted me to come closer!!" He started to cry like a little girl again.

Axel turned his gaze from Roxas and stared back through the crack in the door while Roxas just sat dazed at the stupidity that had just unfolded before them. Axel finally cracked, laughing uncontrollably as the sitar did the same.

"YES FOOL!! I ATE HIM!! And I'll do the same to YOU if you do not OBEY ME!!" The sitar roared like the small mouse that thought it was a mighty lion.

"I'll do anything just don't eat me!" Demyx sobbed as he hugged the lamp chain tighter.

Silence filled the room as Demyx snuffled, inching up the chain a little. But soon the Sitar broke the silence, "Uuuuh you know that cheesecake in the fridge downstairs?"

"You mean Saix's cheesecake that no one is allowed to touch under penalty of loss of one's left hand or decapitation?" Demyx peered over his shoulder down at the blue demon.

"Yeah that one... Bring it to me... I'm hungry..."

"Yes Ma'am..." Demyx dropped to the floor and ran a few steps toward the door for safety, before he turned to face the evil musical instrument he once loved. "If I bring you the cheesecake will you promise not to eat me…? Or anybody else?"

"I'm not making any promises… But I may consider it…" The sitar cooed.

Axel and Roxas scurried round the corner and watched from the dark shadows as Demyx ran, stumbling through the doorway after he had struck the deal with his Sitar. He almost fell down the stairs at the end of the hallway in his rush to do the instrument's bidding.

"He's going to risk Saix's Berserker rage over your stupid joke, aren't you ashamed?" Roxas glared at his friend kneeling next to him.

"Naaaah, that's so cool... And I wanted that cheesecake." Axel chuckled quietly.

"You have no shame do you?" Roxas snorted again.

"Nope! Shall we move on for a bit?" Axel grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Lead on, oh evil mastermind..." Roxas sighed as they stood and quickly disappeared into the surrounding shadows.


	3. Berry Cherry Marly

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I ALMOST FORGOT TO MENTION... Thank you for the reviewer (forgot which one) for saying that this wasn't my story... i just remembered my friend was on my account posting up who-knows-what under MY name. I guess she posted this up... She said this was her story.. (i sorta don't believe her Some friend i am) anyhow she posted this saying "my fic" and everything and now i have to go and change everything into "my friend's" such and such... such a trouble maker... she didn't have internet available at her home so she used mines.. said something about posting something under my account... sorry for the confusion!! (i can't be stuffed changing the chapters and so.. i'm too lazy) and thx for reminding me to the reviewer...

Disclaimer: Do not own THIS STORY and kingdom hearts

Apologies once again

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**Chapter 3: Berry Cherry Marly**

"What time is it?" Axel whispered as he leaned flat against the wall and slid toward the door a few feet away.

Roxas, who was mimicking the stealth tactics, glanced at his bare wrist, "I don't know... Someone didn't let me get changed, so I didn't put on my watch."

"Well what help are you?!" His whisper cracked a bit as he leaned an ear against the door, listening to the silence in the room. "Never mind, it's quiet... So he's still asleep."

"How do you know?" Roxas pondered aloud.

"Marluxia always sings show tunes in the morning... Usually ones from Oklahoma." Axel gently took hold of the handle, pulling it in such a way that the door barely clicked open.

"You're sick you know that... I honestly don't know what's worse, that Marly does that... Or that you KNOW that… You've been watching him for HOW LONG to know something like THAT?" Roxas blurted louder than he had meant to.

Axel quickly slapped a hand over his friend's mouth, backing him up against the opposite wall "And Marluxia is an incredibly light sleeper... The only reason I attempt this is because he wears one of those girly eye mask things and it gives me just enough time to rip a portal and run if all goes down in a fiery ball of chaos... So stay here" he released his grip, "and shut up, 'cause I don't want a scythe planted in my forehead because of YOU."

Roxas blinked at him, watched silently as his friend turned quickly and slipped into the dark room, "sicko" he whispered after him.

A muffled 'shhh' noise barely wafted back at Roxas as he flopped hard against the wall and slid down to a sitting position.

Axel stood in the middle of the room, letting his eyes adjust to the dim moonlight. Even though the entire castle was cast in darkness, the hallway was still lighter than that of the rooms. The huge windows that lined the walkway allowed the pale light to shine in and caress the white marble. Yet this was not so in the rooms, due to the size and décor according to each nobody's taste, the light varied from one to the other. Marluxia was one for deep reds and dark maroons in his decorations; he also preferred the deepest darkness when it came to sleep. This made things a little difficult to adjust to, but not impossible.

Axel was silent, surveying the room once his eyes adjusted, his gaze settled on the lump of covers and sheets on the bed. Marluxia was still asleep, yet the feeling in the room told the intruder that the man was getting ready to wake up.

There was a muffled yawn from under the covers that suddenly shifted as Marluxia sat rigidly bolt up like one of the living dead. He let out a strangled groan, blindly staring through the eye mask at the direction Axel was.

Axel just stood frozen in place silently watching, not daring to make another move. Soon enough the beautiful dreamer leaned back, beating the living daylights out of his pillow and then flopped back onto it once it was comfortable. His layered hair fanning out and creating a sort of halo around his head as his breathing steadied back to a gentle sleeping rhythm.

Axel shook his head at the senseless pillow violence he just witnessed, but took this as a good sign that Marluxia wasn't quite ready to wake. He started to continue on his mission toward the bathroom, when something odd caught his eye. He stared at Marluxia, something wasn't right. He tip-toed closer to the bed, carefully taking hold of the front bedpost and leaned over in order to inspect the scene. Sure enough, Marluxia had his scythe tucked in right next to him under the covers like it was some kind of freakish teddy bear.

"What a nut…" Axel barely even breathed the words.

Marluxia jerked, lifting his head slightly and slowly looking around the room. Axel froze to the bedpost, not even daring to breathe. He knew he couldn't be seen through that froufrou mask the other was wearing, but Marluxia wasn't really looking for anything, he was just listening intently to the darkness that surrounded him.

Once the Graceful Assassin was content with the sound being merely a fading dream he grunted, flopping over again and cuddling his scythe. Axel hugged that post for what seemed like forever, waiting to be sure that the other was truly asleep this time. He waited for the soft nasally snoring, that he knew was the sure fire sign that the other was truly back in the arms of some rose coloured dream. He released his death grip on the bed post and quietly retreated to the bathroom.

Once inside he closed the door and fumbled for the little light switch above the mirror. He grunted as the little bit of luminescence stung at his eyes, yet he didn't slow down. He blindly fumbled for and found the bucket of various pink bottles that sat neatly along the shelf above the toilet. His eyes adjusted finally as he read the various bottles. 'Cherry Blossom body spray, bubble bath, body gel, body lotion, hand lotion, Japanese cherry blossom hand repair lotion.'

"If I didn't know better I would think I was in Larxene's room… He doesn't plant pansies, he IS one…" Axel muttered as he continued to pull out bottles and read the labels, cherry blossom conditioner, shampoo…

"AH HA!! There you are!" He chuckled as he unscrewed the bottle and promptly dumped the contents down the sink. The thick smell of cherry blossoms filled the room, almost gagging him.

"And now for the punch line," he chuckled again as he pulled a small red coloured bear from his pocket, opening the nozzle on its head and squeezing the contents into the shampoo bottle. The colour was the same, there was even a cherry sent to this new thick substance, but it was definitely not shampoo.

Axel quickly screwed the lid back on and placed everything back in the bowl where he'd found them, shoving the now empty bear into his coat pocket. He flicked the light and stood letting his eyes settle once again to the darkness before he slowly slipped out into the room.

He was half way across the open space when he glanced to the side and noticed that Marluxia was sitting up in bed once again stretching and yawning like a bear that had just awoken from hibernation. If he had a heart this is when it would have jumped up into his throat. However, the mask was still on, much to Axel's relief. He wasted no more time with observing and quickly ran to the door, half stumbling out side.

Marluxia jumped, a strangled yelp escaping him as he yanked the covers up a little to protect himself from the unseen intruder, all the while blindly staring through the eye mask at the direction the sound had come from. He then reached up and yanked away the pink fabric and surveyed the room. His blue eyes wide in horror at first, but then he settled down when he was sure nobody was there and nothing was amiss.

"I could have sworn I heard footsteps..." He muttered to the stillness as he nervously pulled himself from the bed, still eyeing the empty room and jumping slightly at every moving shadow.

Axel was flat against the wall, breathing heavily, "I thought I was caught for sure." He gasped.

Only silence greeted him in the dim hallway, he scanned the area and then glanced down on a strange curled lump on the floor. "Roxas?" He slowly approached the lump and gave it a gentle kick.

Nothing…

He then kicked it a little harder.

The stillness was suddenly disturbed by a snort and then a load groan, "Wh…What'd you kick me for." Roxas rolled over until he was able to sit up, rubbing the sore spot where his friend had just kicked him in middle of his back.

"This is NOT the place to be sleeping; we've got to get out of here."

Roxas groaned again, "Axel I'm… REALLY… Sleepy… Can we…"

"NO, now get up!" Axel started to make a move like he was about to kick Roxas square in the backside.

Roxas rubbed his forehead as though he was trying to rub away a migraine, "What did you do to him?"

"I..." Axel was cut off by the deep vocal sounds of Marluxia singing 'oh what a beautiful morning'.

Roxas stared at the door like it was some kind of freakish mutant thing that was actually singing all by itself. He was Mesmerized, but the trance only lasted a moment as Axel grabbed him by the shirt collar again and dragged him away. "We need to get out of here, now... Before he takes a shower."

"W...Wha... What did you do?" Roxas finally stumbled forward onto his feet after his friend. Axel finally released his grip on him and the pace slowed a little.

"I made his morning a little sweeter." Axel snickered as he pulled out the bear and tossed it at Roxas.

Roxas stopped eyeing the empty plastic bear in his hands. It was slightly sticky and it smelled of cherry flavoured honey. "It smells like Marluxia's sham...poooyoudidn't..." His words ran together when he realized what exactly Axel had sabotaged.

"MWAH HA HA, yep I did... That's what he gets for trying to use me as his cherry blossom perfume test subject." Axel paused, turning back and looking at his little friend, "And you should be happy. It's sweet revenge, since he made you smell like a cheap hooker."

Roxas stopped dead in his tracks, "Thank you dear friend for reminding me of that nightmare…" He paused as he heard the sudden muffled sound of water spraying into a tub, forcing him to quicken his pace and find a way to dispose of the condemning evidence he held in his hands. "You're such a jerk!" He snarled as he chucked the bear out a nearby window.

"I know!! Isn't it great!" Axel snorted and then laughed evilly.

They both disappeared into the shadows, neither hearing the muffled yelp of pain followed by a strange 'thump, thumpity, thump, thump' noise that echoed back into the hallway from the window where Roxas had tossed the offending sticky bear.

Meanwhile, back in Marly's bathroom, the shower steam and loud melody was filling up the small space. A hand fumbled out from behind the shower curtain, snatching the pink coloured shampoo bottle from the others. There was a few seconds there when the song turned into a hum that slowly started fade to sour notes and finally ended in a very vocal, "WHAT THE?!"


	4. Saix and the cheesecake

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Ok.. ok... 1. to the reviewer who said i was a thief.. like i said, my friend was using my account...

2. I was correct to doubt that my friend wasn't the one who wrote this fic

3. i want to APOLOGIZE to the ORIGINAL author, and apologize for posting this story without your consent.. but hey, this fic is really good.. oh and i made it to the ORIGINAL title

4. yes, i will continue posting the rest of this story, but i will never let my friend do whatever she likes on my computer without me watching.. i'm gonna hunt her down one day...

Disclaimer: don't own this story nor kingdom heart

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**Chapter 4: Saix and the Cheesecake **

Poor Marluxia, what will happen to his beautiful hair once he empties the contents of his 'shampoo' upon his locks? And what was that strange noise that came from outside? Did someone get hurt that neither we nor Axel know about?

But I'm afraid that is a question that will not be answered in the next chapter. No, the next chapter we will find out what became of Demyx and the forbidden cheese cake.

Meanwhile, in the darkest shadowed pit known as the Kitchen of the Castle residing in the World that Never Was, there was yet another Nobody wide awake and aware of some disturbance in the once peaceful atmosphere.

A silver-blue haired man with a cross-shaped scar across his forehead leaned back in his chair at the small table, folding his newspaper that had once been hiding his face and laying it down before him. His eye twitched for a brief second before his expression settled back to nothingness. He stared across the room at the entity that had caused the shift in the peace, and so rudely disturbed his early morning alone time.

Demyx stood wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights of an on coming semi truck. The incriminating evidence in his sweating gloved hands. He was frozen in place, unmoving except for his quivering lip. Trying to explain himself but unable to grasp the words from the fog in his mind.

"Demyx..." Saix stared coldly into the cerulean eyes of the Melodious Nocturne, then down to the cheesecake in his hands, "What... Are... You... Doing?"

Demyx wobbled, bordering on passing out and running for dear life, "I... Uh... I... Um..." He looked down at the cheesecake, "Oh... You mean with this? Is this yours?" He feigned innocence, but guilt was a hard colour to cover over.

Saix's eyebrow arched, "You know full well it is."

Demyx froze again, but this time he cracked quickly under the pressure of the other Nobody's gaze. "I HAD TO TAKE IT!! My sitar ate Axel and now it wants to eat me and it said it would if I didn't bring it YOUR cheesecake right away, and I bet it already ate Roxas too, since it already ate Axel and they always hang out together and WHAT IF IT EATS THE SUPERIOR!? WHAT THEN!! WHAT WILL WE DO?!" Demyx finally fell silent for the lack of air.

Saix's face finally shifted to an actual expression, confusion was etched across his once stone countenance, "You're... Sitar did what?"

Demyx blinked at him, "Ate... Axel... And said it would eat me..."

"You're Sitar talks to you?" Saix leaned forward across the table, causing Demyx to unconsciously start to back against the counter.

"Yeah... Um... And it's really hungry... So could I…. Would you mind if... It has your cheesecake instead of me?" Demyx pleaded, tears starting to well up in his eyes.

Saix stood, placing a hand down on the table and leaning ominously further across and staring at Demyx who was now trapped along the counter and the sidewall a couple feet from the door. "Demyx... I know your kind tends to experiment with things..." He sighed, "What... Have... You… Been... Smoking?"

Demyx's nose wrinkled up as he pondered the Diviner's words, "My kind? Smoking?"

"You're kind… The rock generation... Tends to dabble in things that one should not... If they want to keep their brain that is..." He looked Demyx over, "what little there may be."

The meaning hit Demyx suddenly, like the mighty king chocobo had fallen on his head, "WHAT!? I'M NOT DOING DRUGS, you think I'm stupid?!"

Saix stared at him blankly, not saying a word.

"That's not funny... And I'm NOT A DRUGGIE..." Demyx snarled at the other.

"Then what else could explain your hallucinations? Are you getting enough sleep, are you under too much stress...Did the Superior call you a sub-moron again… Did…" Saix began to rattle off the usual things that would give anyone mental issues, but he was quickly cut off.

"What do you mean hallucinations? I'm NOT hallucinating!" Demyx's voice cracked with a slight streak of anger.

Saix straitened up unexpectedly rounding the table and shortening the small distance between them. Demyx squealed like a frightened guinea pig holding the cheesecake up as a shield, or sacrificial offering; however you want to look at it. Saix snatched it out of his hands and glared at him. This was it; Demyx could see his short life as a Nobody flashing before his eyes as he awaited his doom.

"Obviously you are... If you think your instrument is talking to you and wants to eat you and some cheesecake on the side... Sounds like a bad trip to me"

"Oh, and you'd be the one to know all about it, huh?" The second the insinuation fell from his lips Demyx about passed out from the fear of what was to come. He just spat in the wind and he knew full well the consequences of that.

Saix's eyebrow arched again, "Alright, Funny Guy, what exactly makes you think you're sitar wants to eat you?"

Demyx pulled his arm down from the defensive stance he had taken; somewhat startled at the considerable patience coming from the Berserker "It ate Axel and then threatened me..."

"You saw it eat Axel?" Saix questioned bluntly, accentuating the 'saw'.

"Uh, No... But it said 'got that memorized' so I thought it ate Axel and he was trying… To warn me… To get away... Maybe?" Demyx pondered the memory not too sure Axel would go out of his way to help anyone.

"It said that? Those exact words?" A light was beginning to shine upon the Luna Diviner.

Demyx nodded in agreement. Still shaken, still afraid of what was about to happen.

"Very well, if this is not a hallucination brought on by stress or..."

"I DON'T DO DRUGS..." Demyx hissed defensively.

His blunt snarl was rewarded with a pat on the head like he had been an obedient puppy, "Good boy, drugs are bad..." Saix then continued, "So if this isn't a hallucination, then I must come and see this monstrous Sitar that has turned on you."

Demyx stared at him in disbelief, "You... Believe me?"

"Yes and no..." Saix walked away abruptly, heading out the door.

"Well what's that supposed to mean either you believe me or you don't!" Demyx squealed as he scuttled after him.

"I believe that something happened, involving your Sitar. But I do not believe it wants to eat you. There's a perfectly logical explanation for this whole thing and I think I know exactly..." Saix cut off his explanation suddenly; stopping dead in his tracks.

Demyx slammed into the taller Nobody's back, yanking on his hood to keep from falling back wards, "What is it!?"

"Did you hear that?" Saix looked up at the ceiling, ignoring the pulling on his hood that would normally choke anyone else.

The two stood in the darkness of the long silent hallway. It was so quiet, just as early morning hours usually were in the castle. Demyx glanced behind him; still lightly clinging to his companion's hood like a child would clutch a security blanket. He started to answer but was cut off by a shrill scream. It shattered the silence of the morning, rattling windows in their sills, and caused the Rabid heartless out side to howl in pain.

Even in the darkness of the hallway, Demyx turned visibly white as a sheet. "It ate someone else!!"

"I seriously doubt that, but this may in fact be connected." Saix sighed.

There was a loud noise above them, like a bookshelf had fallen, then they heard the sounds of feet pounding and stumbling along as well as the slamming of two doors. It wasn't long before a figure clad in a mulberry coloured bath towel stumbled down the stairs and around the corner in front of the waiting Nobodies.

"AXEL YOU JERK!! When I find you I'm going to rip your head off and spit down your throat and then use your innards as fertilizer for my ROSES!!" Marluxia screamed down the hallway as he tried to hold the towel in place. He spun around suddenly catching site of Saix and a brief glimpse of Demyx before he squeaked and hid behind the Berserker.

"Axel?" Saix questioned.

"Who else do you think would do something like this to me?" Marluxia spat angrily.

Demyx peaked from around Saix's shoulder; "Nothing looks wrong other than you need some clothes on."

Marluxia snarled, "ARE YOU BLIND!! LOOK AT MY HAIR!"

The two stared at Marluxia for a moment; his hair looked wet, plastered to his neck and shoulders. His usually fluffy bangs were parted in the middle and plastered to his forehead. The not-so-Graceful Assassin knew what they were thinking, his hair was just wet that's all, and so he decided he had to give an example of the horror that was once his beautiful hair. He reached up, running his hand along his cheek and catching the layers that usually hung feathered and light by his face. They moved, and stuck strait up defying the very laws of gravity as he started to pull away his hand a gooey string of what looked like some sort of gel or honey dripped from his fingers.

"EEEEW what did you do to your hair! That's gross..." Demyx wrinkled his nose in disgust, as he walked over to the already agitated nobody.

"I didn't do ANYTHING!! Axel put HONEY in my SHAMPOO!! It'll take forever to get this out!!" He flung the bottle of shampoo across the hallway, just barely missing Saix. "When I catch him I'm going to kill him dead."

Demyx was now poking at his gravity defying cowlick and making odd 'ick' noises every time he felt the sticky honey that soaked every inch of Marluxia's hair.

"Stop that!" Marluxia slapped at Demyx trying to get him to leave him alone.

"Well how do you know it was Axel, Mar Mar?" Demyx questioned innocently.

"Who else would have done this...? He's still angry because I tested that perfume on him in the store." Marluxia snorted.

"I remember that, Roxas said you made him smell like a cheap hooker... And he did." The musician chuckled at the memory.

"The stink wouldn't leave the castle for days." Saix almost chuckled.

"Well it doesn't matter anymore, Axel's already dead." Demyx sighed, sounding saddened by the horrible twist of fate.

Marluxia turned slowly, "What? What do you mean he's dead? He can't be dead, because I HAVE TO KILL HIM!!" He growled through clenched teeth, nearly loosing his grip on his bath towel.

"My sitar ate him." The younger shrugged backing away slightly.

"Speaking of which, I believe we should go take a look at Demyx's demon sitar…" Saix stated as he continued on his way past the two.

"You're Sitar… Ate him?" Marluxia leaned over one hand on his hip gripping the towel as he stared at the other.

"Yeah…" Demyx leaned backwards away from the scantily clad nobody that was now staring at him like he was inspecting a three-eyed moogle.

"And what have you been smoking?" Marluxia snorted.

Saix was already halfway up the stairs when he stopped and glanced behind him, there was yelling from around the corner where he had left the other two behind. The hallway was echoing with an enraged battle cry followed by Marluxia yelling something about giving back his towel. Then there was a horrible snap followed by Marluxia's shrill screams of pain. Obviously Demyx had had enough of that question. Saix finally chuckled and continued on his way.


	5. Sweet Nightmares

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**Chapter 5: Sweet Nightmares…**

And so the little posse makes their way up the stairs to find out the mystery of the Demon Sitar… But where oh where have Axel and Roxas decided to hit now? What's this…? Roxas is asleep again? Oh dear little Nobody, you should not cross Axel when he's on a mission… You may very well find yourself on the receiving end of this…

Moral one of this chapter… Don't do drugs kids; you'll fry your brains…

Moral Two of this chapter… Don't accuse Sitar playing Nobody's of frying they're poor little deranged minds... They might snap and then snap you with your own bath towel…

It seemed like an eternity since they had first started this silly game, each minute that passed felt like an hour to Roxas as he started to slow his pace and fall further and further behind Axel. He finally stopped all together; shoulder's hunched as he fought desperately to open his eyes.

"Axel please... I'm getting really sleepy... Can't we call it quits now...? I just… Want to sleep..." Roxas leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, curling up into a ball when he met the ground.

"What? How can you be sleepy this is so much fun... And besides... It's your turn next." Axel was peeking through another door, and then glanced over where Roxas had been standing. "Wha… Get UP! No sleeping now!" He growled.

"But I'm tired..." Roxas almost sounded like he was in tears; the pain of being awake was starting to become too much for him to handle.

"Ah, come on, Roxas… I need you so we can sneak in and get that thing that Vexen is working, and then we can… Roxas?" Axel turned from the door looking down at Roxas.

The young Nobody was curled up, sound asleep on the floor like a kitten. Nothing could bother him now that he was safely in the arms of his dream world once again. Even the hard marble floor didn't seem to trouble him one bit. Axel growled as he kneeled down beside him.

"ROXAS!" He nudged his shoulder, and then did so again more forcefully, "ROXAS, WAKE UP!"

It was a lost cause; Roxas was out like a light. He was barely even aware that someone was calling him. He simply let out a sleepy sigh and curled in on himself a little more.

"That's it, you're on my list now… This wouldn't be so hard if you'd just listen to me like a good friend and help me out once in a while." Axel scooped Roxas up and started to carry his limp form to some unknown destination.

Roxas on the other hand was hardly aware of anything at all. He had reached that point of being so tired that no matter how hard he tried; he just couldn't make his eyes open anymore. He vaguely remembered his name being called, and then there was that strange feeling of being weightless. He knew he was moving somewhere, but he just couldn't snap out of it. There was a strange nose, and he felt like he was falling for a moment. He wasn't sure if he actually felt this or if his nerves were just trying to right themselves.

After a moment Roxas felt something wonderful, it was soft and fluffy. It felt like he was on a comfortable soft bed, pillowed by a silken mound of goose down, it felt fantastic. He snuggled deeper into the warm softness, casting aside the faint little warning in the back of his mind that told him he should wake up.

Axel glanced back at his sleeping friend for a brief second, surveying the scene. Roxas was now sleeping soundly on a neatly made queen sized bed, decorated with lacy pillows and red feather stuffed silk comforter. A total stranger passing by would have seen this and taken it as such a sweet gesture on Axel's part to actually consider his friend's needs and let him have a good night's sleep. But obviously that would be someone who didn't know Axel at all. There was a lesson here that needed teaching.

The background sounds of running water suddenly ceased, replaced with the soft sound of humming. Axel stood still in the doorway, holding onto the door with one hand and glancing over at the closed bathroom door. The warm steam that was finding its way through the crack under the door was thinning now. It was only a matter of time; this was the red head's cue to leave the scene.

Just as he pulled the door shut another door opened as a woman stepped into the room, wrapped in a red silk bathrobe and towelling her damp blonde locks. She took a few steps and slipped her bare feet into a pair of fuzzy pink slippers, as she flung her head back and created a sort of turban out of her towel. She noticed something odd out of the corner of her eye. Rubbing her eyes to free them of the hazy bubble effects of her hot shower, she stared at where she laid out her black Organization Uniform on her bed. There was a whole lot more than just that on it now.

A small blade slipped out of her sleeve and settled firmly between her fingers as she carefully approached the intruder. She couldn't make out who it was, but anyone who dared to find themselves in this lioness' den would die a slow and horrible death. She stared at the figure curled up on her comforter, back to her, hugging one of HER precious pillows. She also noted the Pjs, Silly looking swirly hearts, as well as mussed up looking blond hair. "It's got to be Demyx… Stupid idiot is always getting turned around in the dark…" She muttered to herself as she readied her little knife. "If you think I'm going to forgive you for this again just because you've got the brains of a jelly fish you've got another thing coming…" She poked the sleeping intruder.

"FOR PETE'S SAKE AXEL, LEAVE ME ALONE!!" Roxas sat bolt up, screaming when he felt the sharp object jabbing his backside. He suddenly realized he was not where he thought. This was not his room, this was not his pillow, and that lacey white thing caught in his hair and dangling in front of his nose was most definitely not his.

"ROXAS!! WHAT...? WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY BRA YOU LITTLE PERVERT!!" Larxene's shrill scream almost shattered his eardrums as Roxas froze panic stricken.

Axel stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall staring down Larxene's door with the nasty little 'Trespassers will be castrated' threat tacked to it. A wicked smile spread across his face as he pulled a little sharpie out of his pocket and leaned over the note; doodling a puffy bow on the sketch of the skull and bones. He jumped when he heard the ear splitting shriek that shattered windows all around, nearly dropping his precious sharpie pen. Then there was the crackling sound of electricity that hummed through the walls. Lights under the doorway flickered and blinked off and on from the sheer power the Savage Nymph commanded.

"Larx, I didn't… I mean, I wasn't… Don't KILL ME!!" Roxas ducked as she chucked a few electrified daggers at him. Missing him by mere inches and planting them into her pillows.

"MY PILLOWCASES!!" She howled, mourning the loss of her perfectly matching bed set. Her angered gaze then fell on the intruder that had fallen from her bed and was now crawling to the door.

Roxas was chanting 'I'm sorry' as he fumbled with the door trying desperately to escape. "I didn't mean to Larx, honest! I was asleep... I don't know how I got here!!" It was like some sort of freakish nightmare. The more he struggled to get the door open the tighter it closed; he could almost feel her looming over him now.

"I… DON'T… CARE…." She growled as the lights around her flickered again, the air sparked with the electrified current.

Just as she was about to fling another deadly round at him he slipped through the door and slammed it behind him. Another ear piercing howl shattered the silence as three sharp 'thunks' hit the door about where Roxas' head had been. He scuttled backwards across the floor of the hallway, slamming against the opposite wall.

"Now are you awake?" Axel asked calmly, glancing down at his terrified buddy.

Roxas still trembled from the near miss he had just escaped as he looked wide eyed up at Axel, "YOU! You put me in there! SHE COULD HAVE KILLED ME!!"

"Aw come on, Larxene's evil, but she wouldn't kill you… Horribly maim you maybe…" Axel chuckled as he pulled Roxas to his feet. "You're not hurt…" He then caught sight of the object that sent Larxene over the edge, "but you've got something in your hair…" He pointed.

Roxas squealed in terror as though a huge spider had just dropped in his head, "GET IT OFF!!"

"Well hold still and stop squirming and I will." Axel struggled to free his friend from the clasp knotted in one of his spikes of blonde hair. He pulled it free and tossed the thing towards Larxene's door just as it opened.

Larxene sparked, her head bowed while taking on a fighting stance, "YOU… I should have known it was you behind this… Roxas isn't that big of an IDIOT…. But YOU… This is SO like you… YOU JERK." She looked up with pure anger flashing across her eyes like lightning across the sky. "YOU WILL BOTH DIE!!"

Axel and Roxas both stared at her like deer caught in the headlights, the only thing that could save them now was a freak accident waiting to happen. Larxene took a threatening step closer tangling her feet in the bra on the ground, sending her sprawling out across the floor.

Roxas and Axel both ran like frightened chickens, Axel of course couldn't go far before he turned to taunt his would be attacker, "And so you are brought down by your own devices, that's what you get when you threaten me, you got that memorized!" He laughed evilly as they rounded the corner and disappeared from her sight.

Meanwhile, only just a little distance away, a small party stopped suddenly in their tracks. The screams, threats, and evil laughter had not gone unnoticed.

Saix stared down the hallway, a stern look tightening his lips in disapproval. Demyx slowly walked up beside the taller Nobody, "That sounded like Larxy! You think my Sitar just ate her too" worry welled up behind his light blue eyes as he looked up to meet Saix's gaze.

"I doubt that, but let's take a look." Saix grunted.

"Why should we… Let her fend for herself… I just want Axel's head on a lance." Marluxia growled as he held onto his towel to make sure it stayed up and away from the grasp of that evil little musical twit.

"Did you not stop to think that the reason behind her angered scream could be the one you're looking for?" Saix stated flatly.

Marluxia's eyes widened, "Let's go, we need to help her." He pushed past them toward the direction of the screams.

Demyx watched him leave; then looked back at Saix, "but Axel…"

"We'll see about your Sitar after we take care of this new problem… Perhaps your Sitar isn't the one causing problems." Saix stated again as he walked up behind Demyx, placing a hand in the middle of his back to push him along.

Demyx stumbled a little bit, leaning back against the force that was urging him onward, "What do you mean? You think that… That it's…" His voice trailed off as he pulled his gaze away from Saix, staring down at his feet.

Saix let out an agitated grunt, "We'll deal with that in due time, for now let's continue on."

Demyx still drug his feet, "I don't want to go…" He paused looking back up at the taller nobody, "You know how ticked Larxy will be when Mar Mar shows up in that… She's gonna have kittens…"

It was the second time that morning that Saix burst into laughter; it was almost starting to get scary.


	6. The Pink Lady and the Three Stooges

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**Chapter 6: The Pink Lady and the Three Stooges**

Roxas is now wide-awake, and Axel has already rushed them off towards their next target… But what about Larxene, will Saix recruit her into their little Axel hunt? Or will the bickering between her and Marluxia send him into a berserker's rage?

The lights of the castle were slowly starting to illuminate the darkness, simulating the breaking dawn in this world that was eternally cast in night. The hallway that was once alive with the loud disturbance of an enraged nymph was now silent and still. Larxene was sitting on the cold marble floor, staring blankly in the direction Axel and Roxas had escaped. A strange sort of breeze seemed to pick up from behind her, sending a chill down her back, her gaze then fell to the floor close to her; small pink petals were lightly drifting past her before they finally settled near her knee.

The gentle sound of bare feet across the cold stone floor drew closer to the woman that remained strangely calm and quiet. The steps stopped just a few feet away, suddenly replaced by a quiet male voice, "And so another falls before their vengeance… So what did you do to them?" The voice was icy, yet laced with a sick humour, "or should I ask… What haven't you done to them to deserve this?"

Larxene smiled yet never looked around, "Nothing as bad as what you did to them…" She paused, "and besides, I don't think that was aimed directly at me, I was merely the means to and end."

"And you're fine with being used like that?" The mysterious voice cooed evilly.

"Oh, you should know me better than that Marlu…" Her voice caught in her throat as she turned and looked up at the other nobody, "EW! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON YOU PERV!"

"IT'S NOT LIKE I'M NAKED!!" Marluxia snapped back, unconsciously tightening up his towel.

"And it's not like you're leaving that much to the imagination…" Another deeper voice echoed from the shadows further down the hall.

"Oh shut it, Saix… It's not like I had time to grab my uniform, the horrible agonizing torturous death I wanted to inflict upon Axel took a little more precedence than my clothes." Marluxia snarled as he turned and walked to the nearby window.

"We seem to have an issue on our hands that needs to be… Taken care of." Saix paused glazing at Marluxia before letting his gazer fall upon the only female member of the Organization as she stood gracefully, "Would you care to come with us?"

"First we need to make sure my Sitar isn't eating anyone else…" Demyx squeaked as he stepped out from behind Saix. He stood for a moment staring at the ground before he carefully glanced up at Larxene. That was a mistake.

Larxene was standing there still wearing her pink furry slippers and a shiny red bathrobe that had lace trimming the collar and sleeves, and worse yet; it was now gapping open to reveal a pink nightgown that had a slit up the side. Demyx took one look at her and the next second a fountain of blood shot from his nose as he fell backwards and passed out.

Saix sidestepped out of the way just in time, staring down at the mess at his feet, "Perhaps that's the real reason he didn't want to come…" He muttered as he kneeled down to inspect the body.

Marluxia turned around; his nose wrinkled slightly, "Well shouldn't somebody do something about that… He's making a mess."

"Nah, that always happens, let him bleed to death." Larxene dismissed Marluxia's concern with a wave of her hand, "So we ARE going to kill them aren't we?"

"I've got dibs on Axel…" Marluxia snorted.

Saix was carefully sitting Demyx up, slapping him a bit on the cheek to bring him around, "Wake up Demyx…" He ordered as Demyx slowly started to come back to the living.

"Meeeh wha happened…" Demyx groaned; his vision was blurred for a moment as he tried to focus on his surroundings.

"You passed out… Like always." Larxene snorted, half chuckling.

"Well if you wouldn't walk around like that maybe I wouldn't pass out!" Demyx's weak voice cracked beneath his hand as he messaged his aching forehead, careful not to look at her again.

"ME?! WHAT ABOUT TARZAN AND HIS LOINCLOTH OVER THERE!!" Larxene's shrill voice echoed down the hall as she pointed at Marluxia, "I've got more clothes on than him, at least."

"HEY! Leave me outta this you little siren harpy…" Marluxia snarled back at her.

"Both… Of… You… KNOCK. IT. OFF." Saix's voice seemed to grow a little deeper; there was a bite to it now that instantly told all three that his patience was now wearing thin.

Saix turned to face Demyx who was still sitting down on the floor yet fully alert and wary of the taller Nobody. "You… Get up." He growled before snapping his attention back on the others, "And you two… Give him your bathrobe." He nodded at Larxene.

"Excuse me?!" Both Marluxia and Larxene stared Saix with stunned horror.

"You heard me, now give it to him… I don't want to hear any more about that stupid towel tonig…" Saix was cut off suddenly before he could finish the rest of his thought.

"I am NOT going to wear that fruity looking thing; I'll keep my towel thank you very much." Marluxia snuffed, nose in the air as he then turned to leave.

Demyx chuckled lightly, "This coming from the man that likes the Bath and Body Works and sleeps with a goofy pink eye mask on…"

"Just because a lot of women shop there doesn't mean…" The realization suddenly hit the Graceful Assassin; he spun back around "How'd you know about my eye-mask? You're one of HIS little spies aren't you…?"

Demyx fidgeted under the eyes of his companions, only to be saved by Larxene laughing, "Pink? You wear one of those pink masks?"

"Shut up… It's the colour of cherry blossoms… I like cherry blossoms..." Marluxia pouted.

"Yeah, sure, Sakura-chan!" Larxene's light chuckle soon became louder.

Marluxia's face twisted with anger as his lip curled into a snarl; he readied to slip into a full on verbal assault with Larxene, but something cut him off abruptly.

"Mar Mar, this isn't the time to be arguing…" Demyx's voice was quiet but demanding, he glanced out of the corner of his eye up at the taller Nobody that was standing next to him. The look on the Berserker's face was less than pleased and his hair was starting to do that angry cat thing where it stood on end, thus making Demyx very uneasy.

Marluxia stared down Demyx but it wasn't really the smaller Nobody he was gauging, his lips pulled into a tight line as he thought over the consequences of continuing. Obviously Saix's nerves were being frayed to their breaking point, and Marluxia felt that he'd rather not be on the receiving end of one of those fits of rage. Yet there was one more thing he had to address, so he risked it "Very well, for the sake of continuing on and finally getting my vengeance upon Axel I will back down… But…" He paused as he ran both his hands through his slightly crusting hair and sauntered towards Demyx.

Demyx started to step back, his eyes wide as he tried to grasp what exactly Marluxia was going to pull, "Mar Mar… What…" Before he could escape, Marluxia had him pinned under his arm, unmercifully rubbing the extra honey into Demyx's hair as the smaller nobody made horrified squealing noises.

Saix took one step towards them, swinging his hand up and connecting his palm square in the back of Marluxia's head, "KNOCK IT OFF!" Saix snarled, shaking his hand a little, not from the sting of the connection but from the sticky feeling of touching Marluxia's hair.

Slightly dazed and now sporting some really terrible cowlicks, Marluxia released his captive from the headlock he had him in. Larxene stared at the three men, "What are you guys, The Three Stooges?" She paused looking closely at Marluxia's hair, "and that's disgusting, there is NO WAY I'm giving him my bathrobe…"

Demyx stood slightly hunched in shock, his breath shallow and erratic as he slowly reached up to his hair. When he felt the honey and the freakish way his hair was now falling limp and sticky, he let out a strangled squeal, "MY HAIR!! It takes me hours to get it the way I want… HOURS!! YOU JERK!!" The look in his usually sweet blue eyes flared with anger as he readied to lunge for his tormentor.

Saix caught him under the arms mid flight and held him in place, "Calm down, Demyx… Everyone is getting irritable because it's so early and we have to deal with Axel's little pranks… Let's just pull it together for now."

"Axel?! AXEL'S NOT THE ONE! He's not the one that accused me of being a druggie, or put honey in my hair, or made me almost die from blood loss, or…" Demyx growled.

"Oh no, the only thing that's turned on you is your precious Sitar, and oh wait! How could it be that Axel is doing all this when you're Sitar ATE HIM!! Oooh… Fear my evil Sitar! " Marluxia faked being terrified, taunting Demyx further.

"You're sitar, what?" Larxene chuckled, not too sure she had heard Marluxia right.

Demyx tensed bracing himself for what he thought was coming. Saix tightened his grip on the young musician, judging from the earlier confessions; he knew exactly what reaction was coming. "My Sitar… Ate Axel…" Demyx hissed through clenched teeth.

Larxene blinked at him, momentarily stunned. "Is that what you meant by making sure your sitar isn't eating anyone else before you passed out in a spray of blood?" She suddenly burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

The giggle fit spread like a virus as Marluxia caught it and struggled to hide the chuckles that were escaping under his raised hand. That's when the inevitable escaped the woman that stood next to him, "and what have you been smoking!"

"DON'T SAY THAT!! WHY DOESN'T ANYONE BELIEVE ME!?" Demyx howled as he fought against Saix to get free.

"Probably because you're coming off sounding like an idiot…" Marluxia paused long enough for Larxene to add a "like usual" to his sentence before he continued, "Your sitar can't eat anyone… And Larxene just saw Axel run that way." He snickered, pointing a thumb over his shoulder.

"Knock it off both of you… The longer you all spend here acting like children, the further Axel is getting away from us. Plus I'm getting a headache…" Saix groaned as he released his grip on Demyx, dropping him to the floor.

Marluxia tightened his grip on his towel and stepped back, "Get back, and don't come any closer… You evil towel snapper…"

Demyx stood his back rigid as he clenched his hands into fists at his side, "Forget it! I'm going to bed…" He turned without another word and proceeded back down the hallway.

"Aw, Come on Demyx… Can't you take a little teasing? Ya big baby." Larxene sighed. Her outburst caused Demyx to slow; he was just about to glance back at her…

"No! I'm not teasing him; I mean every word of it…" Marluxia snorted, ushering Demyx back on his way.

Saix waited just a moment before stopping him, "and what about your Sitar… You know it's still there waiting for you."

Demyx froze in place neither turning around nor continuing on his way. He just stood with his back to them, grinding his teeth as he tried to think of what he should do next. It wasn't very long before Saix gave him a way out, "I suggest we stay together… And find Axel before he causes any more problems within the Organization. If this reaches the Superior then we're ALL in for it." Once again the unbelievable patience of the Luna Diviner had kicked back in, it was surprising all three of them that he hadn't gone berserk and killed them all by now. Maybe smacking Marluxia was enough of an outlet for his pent up rage to get him through for now.

"Well, well, well, looks like someone's developed a little compassion in that hole in his chest…" Larxene sighed, "Fine, I'll play along with you boys… It might actually be fun. But this better end with some blood…" She slipped off her bath robe and tossed it at Marluxia, "and don't get honey on that Sakura-chan… It's silk"

Marluxia shot her a death glare as he reluctantly put on the robe, "Fine, let's just get this done before the honey crystallizes in my hair…"

Demyx still stood in the middle of the hallway with his back still to the others, seriously contemplating on which would be the lesser of two evils. His man eating sitar or having to deal with the three of them bossing him around and insinuating that he was an idiot or worse. He started to take a step forward, his mind finally settling on going back to his loved sitar. Even if it had turned into a man-eater, he still loved it. But a voice called him back before he could escape.

"Demyx, come on…" Saix's voice was quiet, but laced with a threatening command.

"I don't want to… I've had enough of this." He turned around to face Saix but got an eye full of Larxene. Her nightgown was actually very lovely; it looked more like an evening dress than a nightgown. It just didn't really look that much like the Savage Nymph at all, more like a beautiful yet disgruntled angel in pink lace and silk standing there glaring at him. Or better yet, she was like a pink lily. She was a beautiful and deadly 'Pink Lady'.

He blinked; then the shock finally registered in his brain, releasing the defence mechanism that would rid him of his heated cheeks and swimming mind. In cases of extreme pain the brain will shut down, allowing the body to handle the pain and give it time to recoup; it was the same thing here, only this time it was to stop the sensory overload from his vision to his mind. Yet again in a spurt of blood from his nose he passed out on the floor.

"Oh good grief, we're never going to get any where with him passing out like that all the time." Marluxia sighed as he synched the tie to the bathrobe and then gracefully sauntered off in the direction Axel and Roxas had escaped to.

Larxene chuckled, "just leave him…"

Saix sighed as he followed Marluxia, "Let's go check and make sure they aren't getting into Vexen's experiments, and then we'll come back for him."

"We're coming back this way?" Larxene eyed him suspiciously as he passed her.

"I promised him I'd check on his Sitar…" Saix stated.

"You believe him, then?" Larxene chuckled, surprised that someone as serious and level-headed as Saix would believe such a tale.

"I believe that he fully believes it." He paused, glancing down at the unconscious musician, "But I think he's starting to catch on…"

Larxene stood silently for a moment watching as Saix followed Marluxia down the hall. She reached up and pulled the falling towel she had wrapped around her hair off the rest of the way as she turned back towards Demyx. She eyed him for a moment, before she knelt down next to him, "Looks like a murder scene…" She mumbled. Then in a strange fit of sympathy she rolled the towel up and tucked it under his head to cushion him a little from the hard marble floor. "You are such an idiot…" She sighed, as she gently tucked one of his fly away strands of hair back behind his ear; then she quickly stood up to follow her comrades in vengeance. She paused when something caught her eye; she turned back to her door, running a finger over her warning note.

"THAT JERK DOODLED ON IT!! Oh he is SO DEAD!" And thus she ran off with new determination to bring about the horrible torturous pain of Axel.


	7. The Red Elixir and the Hideous Creature

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Red Elixir and the Hideous Creature**

Demyx is out, but will the others be back before he wakes up? And what is this strange Red Elixir that Roxas and Axel are risking life and limb for… And… GREAT GOOGALIE MOOGALIE WHAT IS THAT CREATURE!? Vexen… You are one sick puppy for creating something THAT hideous…

Axel and Roxas stood quietly for some time before a large door just like all the others in the castle, except that this particular door was locked tight. Neither said a word, just stared at the entry as though sheer will power would open it. Roxas finally sighed glancing over at Axel who was thoughtfully rubbing his chin. "It's locked…" Roxas stated calmly.

"Thank you captain obvious… I can see that." Axel grunted sarcastically at his little companion.

"Well does he always keep it locked? Cause you look… Just a smidget stumped there…" Roxas pinched the air, giving a visual to his words.

"I never get stumped." Axel snapped, glancing to his right, away from Roxas. "I figured it would be locked this time."

"So that means you've snuck in here before…" Roxas snickered.

"Yeah," Axel chuckled at the memory, "I guess he was working on something… Highly flammable…"

"Figures." Roxas snorted and then leaned against the door, "So now what? Obviously you've got a plan."

"Yes, indeedy. There's a vent that connects his room to the lab." Axel pointed to a door just a few feet away. "It's very small and…"

"And you want me to sneak in there and crawl through?" Roxas sighed.

"Well, if you're going to volunteer like that, sure!" Axel chuckled.

"Move aside, you jerk… You're hopeless with out me" Roxas pushed past Axel and stomped over to the other door. He cracked it open, stopping when the door elicited a creak from its hinges. "Is Vexen in here?" He whispered back at Axel.

Axel shook his head, "I don't know. Vexen has really odd sleeping habits, I couldn't pin his routine. But if he is in there don't worry; he can sleep through anything… Just don't look at him, he drools… It's gross."

Roxas shrugged and slipped silently inside. Vexen's bedroom was very small and well lit, as well as being much cluttered. Books were strewn from one end to the other, piled high on his bed and lining every shelf, nightstand, or any sort of available surface. Roxas eyed the bed, it looked un-slept in for days, maybe even weeks judging from the line of dust that layered the books upon it. He then noticed a small couch, and the leg that was dangling over the arm. He froze for a second, listening to the still room until he was sure he could hear the faint breathing accompanied by the occasional snore that told him that the eldest member of the Organization was sound asleep. Most likely conked out right there reading some physics book as usual.

He did another quick scan of the room; there was nothing but books and bookshelves. His blue eyes finally fell upon the vent near the top of the left sidewall. It was perfectly positioned; it had to lead to the lab right next door. Roxas fumbled around, finding a small step stool in front of a tall bookcase and positioned it right under the vent. He stepped up and stretched out to peer through the slats in the metal grating, a smile spread across his face as he glanced behind at Vexen's couch, "perfect."

Axel was pacing nervously now. Walking back and forth, stopping and staring at the door as though he wanted to go in, only to turn and pace back towards the Laboratory's doorway. "What's taking so long? I shouldn't have sent him in…"

"Do you talk to yourself often? ''Cause that's a little freaky and I don't think I want to be around you if you're going to keep that up… Nutter." Roxas poked his friend in the middle of his back, sending a chill up his spine.

"For the love of Moogles, Roxas! Don't do that!!" Axel spun around, "You little weasel, what took so long?"

"It's dark in there! I stubbed my toe on something." Roxas whined as he followed Axel back into the dark lab.

"And it smells funny in here…" Roxas' voice echoed in the dark room as he inched out into the open space. An eerie green light was illuminating his companion's face where he stood a few feet away, giving him a ghostly aura "and you look freaky." He added to his list of complaints.

"Well you don't exactly look like ray of sunshine over there…" Axel glanced at his friend and then quickly looked away. The shifting green and yellow light that lit the younger Nobody's form was almost stomach churning. It gave him that same feeling he got when he was on a boat out at sea. This was one little quirk he didn't share freely with just anybody, his terrible seasickness. Only Roxas knew about it, and that was because the Superior had sent them both on a mission to some stupid world filled with pirates and water… Oh how he hated the water. He spent most of the time hanging over the railing of the ship hurling his guts into the vast blue sea.

Roxas eyed him, a smirk began to play at the corner of his mouth, "You look a little green, dear friend, and I don't think it's that freakish lighting effect."

"Shut up, Roxas…" Axel held his stomach and started to feel the smooth surface of the wall for any sign of a light switch.

Roxas looked around, then down at his pjs, that was it. His pjs were the problem; it was the natural colour of the fabric and the swirling hearts that decorated it mixed with the lava lamp like bubbles of light from all the glowing tubes and flasks that caused them to glow with a sick putrid green colour. The light moved like water, and the mixture of colours were enough to even make him sick. Roxas' smirk widened as he realized he had him. "Hey Axel… So what are we looking for?" He asked masking the chuckle that threatened to escape as he started to sway as though he was slow dancing to some unheard song.

"We're looking for that new stuff Vexen… Hrrrk." Axel's sentence cut off when he turned to look back at his friend, his hand shooting up to his mouth as he jerked his gaze away and lean his forehead against the wall. "KNOCK IT OFF, ROXAS!!"

"Why should I… You're such a pansy…" Roxas laughed. "It's like the ocean… Isn't it… So calming… Back and forth and side to side… You remember the Black Pearl don't you…?" He mimicked the movements that he had described.

"Don't make me come over there and pound you, I'll do it… I will…" Axel never looked around, and despite the threat, his tone of voice was weak.

"How… You have to look at me to catch me…" Roxas turned, bumping into a table that was hidden in the dark; rattled a glowing green tube that was sitting on top.

"Well I'll be sure to catch you quickly and then hurl my guts on you…" Axel started to look around and see what the sound was, but thought better of it. If he knew his friend it was just a trick to make him sick.

Roxas eyed the murky green liquid in the jar, tapping it with his finger. The murky fog seemed to separate revealing something… Hideous… "WHAT IS THAT!!" Roxas' mind shut down as he stared at some freakish little lizard-fish thing that was suspended in the green gel.

"Don't get to close to it…" Axel choked a little, this time he did turn, willing himself to keep his insides from churning.

"But it's dead… Whatever it is..." Roxas started to poke at the glass again when the creature's reptilian eyes opened and in a sudden flash of movement, it made like a suction cup against the glass with its huge mouth near his finger. Roxas let out a scream, flailing backwards and jumping up onto Axel's back. "IT MOVED!! DID YOU SEE THAT? IT MOVED!!"

"Roxas…" Axel calmly said his friend's name, getting the terrified Nobody's attention, "Could you possibly remove your arm from my neck… And maybe let go of my face…"

Roxas finally realized that he was choking Axel with one arm and was hanging on for dear life, almost gripping him by the nose with his other. "Oh…" He released his grip and slipped off Axel's back, taking a few steps backwards, "Sorry…"

"You are such a spaz…" Axel cleared his throat as he fumbled along the wall once more.

Roxas eyed the room; it was pitch black and seemed boundless. There were no windows, and the only things he could see in the void were the strange glowing flasks and jars of varying sizes on a nearby desk, and then the tubes with hideous creatures living inside them. "I'm going to have nightmares for weeks after this one… What in the world is Vexen cooking in here… And why are we here… What are we looking for?" He turned back to Axel just as the lights in the room flicked on, blinding him.

"Whoohoo! LIGHT!" Axel blinked, his hand shading him from the luminance.

"Axel!! A little warning next time! I think I'm blinded for life" Roxas stood rubbing his eyes then squinting trying to find his friend beyond the bubbles. It wasn't very long before he felt a hand on his shoulder, making him nearly jump out of his skin.

"Man, Roxas, you need to calm down… You're so, jumpy... " Axel chuckled, "But then you should be…" Axel pulled him into a headlock and readied the noogie, "Now who was it that was trying to make me sick… Hmmm?"

"Lemme go, Axel, Ouch! What if we wake up Vexen!! He's right next door!" Roxas squirmed and wriggled trying to free himself.

"He sleeps like the dead, now back to business… Are we going to pull something like that again?" Axel proceeded to torment Roxas, turning as his little buddy tried desperately to free himself. He suddenly let go, sending Roxas sprawling back against the table where the odd creature in the tube was sitting.

Axel turned just in time to see the tube teetering on the edge of the table. "Roxas! Catch it!"

Roxas sat up from his sprawled out position under the table, banging his head on the underside of the hard surface and nearly knocking himself out. That final jarring thump sent the tube falling to the ground where it shattered and spilled its gooey contents across the floor. The small creature lay still in the middle of it, unmoving and lifeless. Roxas slowly leaned forward and shook his head, dazed and confused; he glanced up at Axel as he helped him to his feet.

"You ok?" Axel examined the knot that was forming on Roxas' forehead.

"NO! Thanks to you, you jerk!" Roxas slapped his hands away and rubbed his sore spot.

"Well I think you spilled your brains out over there, go stuff them back in your ear and let's get back to work…" Axel chuckled pointing at the shattered glass and motionless creature.

Roxas turned to see the mess, "Aw, man, Axel! We killed it! Vexen is going to be furious!" He made his way to the small creature and knelt down to look at it.

"So…" Axel watched him for a moment, "are you really going to fall for that twice?"

Roxas let out an 'hn?' that turned into what almost sounded like a squeal when the creature lurched awake once more; lunging for him. Roxas was on his feet and yet again attached to Axel's back like a baby monkey. "KEEP IT AWAY!!"

Axel started to laugh, but his attention was suddenly on the door. There were loud footsteps coming closer, followed by voices. Axel quickly looked around the room, spotting a large metal closet and quickly flicked the lights off to hide.

"Axel! What are you doing…? Where are you?" Roxas searched blindly, suddenly he felt a tug on his shirt collar and soon found he was in someplace very cramped and pitch black.

"shhh…" Axel breathed before both them held their breath waiting for the door to open.

"What in the world is going on in there?" A very tired and annoyed voice growled from the other side of the locked Lab door. The knob made a rattling noise as though the mysterious person was still too tired to even turn it the right way.

The door creaked open just a crack when another deeper voice called out to the one that was about to enter the room. "Vexen, what's going on?"

"Saix, what are you doing here at this early hour?" Vexen suddenly sounded calm and collected; every trace of his weariness was gone.

"We're trying to find Axel; we think he might have come here for something. You WERE working on something, recently correct? A potion of sorts?" Saix asked; his voice had a rather calm but yet concerned sound to it.

"Indeed, I was. But what would Axel want with it?" Vexen pulled the door closed once more.

"Just get out of the way, Vexen, I'm tired of all this tip toeing around! If Axel's in there I want his head on a platter, RIGHT NOW!" The new voice was cold and harsh.

"Axel… That was Marluxia, and Saix? What is Saix doing here!? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM? Are you INSANE!!" Roxas whispered, starting to panic.

"Nothing… I don't know why he's here…"

Roxas was starting to hyperventilate now, "What are we going to do?"

"Just keep quiet no matter what…" Axel whispered back in the darkness.

"Well that's a fine how-do-you-do! Have a little respect you annoying little Twit!" Vexen hissed at Marluxia. "Go in, but I can tell you now that they're not in there, this door is locked at all times and only I have the key."

The lights flicked on once more, yet the room was still and quiet. Vexen walked into the middle of the space, surveying everything, while Marluxia, Saix, and Larxene followed closely behind. Nothing seemed amiss, and all appeared to be in perfect order until a strange crunch noise disturbed the silence.

Saix glanced down at his boot, pulling his foot back and eyeing the shattered glass and green substance he had just stepped on. "Vexen, what is this?"

Vexen turned, glancing at Larxene's disgusted expression and then at Saix. "What?" His gaze then fell on the mess near the Diviner's feet. His pale face shifted from sulky annoyance to a tinge of fear, "No… Not that…"

Larxene eyed the slime that seemed to be spreading and becoming more disgusting by the minute, "What IS THAT, this is disgusting! You know this is far past the point of needing to tell someone they really need to develop better cleaning habits."

"That was just the fluid that kept him docile, where is he?!" Vexen ignored her snide remark and began to look panicked, as he searched under tables and between books.

Marluxia watched the frantic display, and quickly lost interest. His gaze began to wander over the room again, resting on the large closet to his left. Normally it wouldn't have been suspicious, but he could have sworn that he heard the slightest gasp emanate from behind the door when his gaze had fallen upon it. The doors were just barely ajar by a tiny crack; peaking his curiosity even more. His eyebrow arched as he turned and slowly started to walk towards the closet doors.

"Vexen, what are you looking for?" Saix glanced around suspiciously.

"One of my experiments, he's escaped… That must have been the ruckus I had heard earlier…" He was now looking under his desk, frantically brushing aside misplaced books and papers that had fallen underneath.

Marluxia stopped hand in midair ready to open the closet door; he glanced back at Vexen, "Ruckus?"

"I woke up when I thought I heard voices, and then the shattering of glass. It must have been my experiment… He makes odd noises and tries to escape sometimes…" Vexen straitened up, turning to catch sight of Marluxia standing there with his hand on the closet door. "STOP!"

Everyone in the room froze, not sure what exactly they were freezing in place for. Vexen slowly rose to his feet; he carefully walked towards Marluxia as he whispered in a calm and gentle voice, "Don't move a muscle…"

"What on earth has gotten into you? You're freaking me out…" Marluxia began to fidget.

"SHHH…. Quiet… Not a sound, not a movement…" Vexen still approached but his sight was clearly on something higher up above Marluxia's head.

"What… What is it?" Marluxia then broke the command and turned his head and glanced over his shoulder to see what it was that Vexen was stalking. It was the most hideous thing he'd ever seen in his life as a Nobody, and it was staring down strait at him over the edge of the closet. "YAACK! WHAT IS THAT!!" Marluxia screamed as he launched himself in a swirling vortex of cherry petals from where he was standing and strait into the arms of the nearest Nobody.

The hideous lizardfish made a gurgling hissing noise and leapt from its perch, hitting the floor in a dead run and scuttling out the door, followed closely by Vexen, "NO!! NO, NO, NO! COME BACK! We have to catch it before it bites someone!!"

Marluxia was hyperventilating, "My life just flashed before my eyes… Oh the horror… What if THAT was the last thing I would have seen. Oh the Hideous Monstrosity burned onto my retinas!!"

Larxene was laughing; she nearly collapsed on the spot. While Saix stood for a second, pondering the reason why HE was the one holding Marluxia. He let out an annoyed grunt of disgust and then suddenly dropped him on his rump and walked away, "We need to go get Demyx… Before that creature finds him, it'll probably be attracted to the sent of blood." Saix stated as he left the room.

"OUCH! What was that for? That hurt you know…" Marluxia rubbed his backside as he stood up.

"Come on, Grace, we got to go make sure our musical idiot is still alive… I don't think Axel came here after all…" Larxene chuckled as she turned and followed Saix.

Marluxia stood, shoulders hunched, as a growl rumbled in his chest. He took a step towards the door only to stop for a brief second and glance back at the closet. He eyed it suspiciously and then continued on his way once more, leaving the room in silence.

A strange hush filled the room for a few moments after the departure of the others, then the door to the closet creaked open to reveal Axel standing wide eyed with his hand clamped around Roxas' mouth to keep him quiet, a tall skeleton was leaning over Roxas almost looking like it was hugging him.

"I think we just stared death in the eyes…" Axel released Roxas and carefully inched out of the closet.

"Yeah and death dresses funny and sounds like a girl when he screams. I think we better grab what we need and get out of here. Then we should call it quits, Man… They're starting to catch up with us, and if Saix is hunting us down… I don't even want to go there." Roxas started to take a step out of the closet, his pjs catching on the skeleton and pulling it down on himself in a clatter of flailing limbs and rattling bones.

"He keeps his most precious experiments up there…" Axel pointed to a cabinet high up on the wall, he turned back to find Roxas fighting with the skeleton trying desperately to escape its grasp. Axel just groaned and focused back on his mission.

"Are you done playing around?" Axel sighed, "We are looking for his latest experiment… It's in a red flask… And supposedly smells of roses… I overheard him telling Xemnas that it would be the weapon to beat all weapons… A miracle potion. And that means WE must posses this miracle weapon in a bottle…"

"But what does it do?" Roxas was finally free of the skeleton and was now trying to act like it never happened as he inspected the titles of some of the books in a nearby bookcase.

"I just told you…" Axel stopped, glancing over his shoulder at Roxas.

"All you said was that it was a miracle weapon… But what does it DO?" Roxas straitened up, staring back at his friend. They just stood there eyeing each other for a few minutes, "You don't know do you? This better not be some lame LOVE potion… That's so…"

"I doubt it… But if it was important enough to tell Xemnas about, then I want it…" Axel stated then motioned for Roxas to come closer "Come on, I'll lift you…" Axel snickered.

"ME?! You'll drop me… You want it that bad you get it yourself!" Roxas threw the book he had picked up down with a loud thump and then started for the door.

"It's easier for a delicate little flower like you to climb up there, I'm too heavy… I'd pull everything down." Axel snatched Roxas by his PJ collar and pulled him back to the bookshelf.

"You just insulted me… And still expect me to help you?" Roxas groaned at the mischievous smirk on Axel's face; it was useless to fight against Axel. Once he had made up his mind that was the end of it, all you could do was just go with the flow and hope you didn't get horribly maimed in the process.

Axel clasped his hands together and crouched down, giving Roxas a step up as he lifted him up to the cabinet. Roxas used the bookshelf below it to steady himself, trying desperately not to sit on Axel's head. Once they were stable Roxas flung open the door and began to quickly check bottles. None of them were red, and most were in jars, he was about to give up hope when he decided to just blindly fumble for the top shelf above his head. He fingered a flask and quickly snatched it off the shelf so he could see the colour. "Hey this one's red… Could this be it?" Roxas leaned a little too far back, trying to show it to Axel. He lost his balance and slipped backwards as Axel lost his grip on his little buddy's legs.

There were a few yelps and stumbling steps, as Axel fell back against the table and Roxas slipped into a sitting position on his shoulders with both arms wrapped tightly around his friends' forehead. Axel grabbed Roxas by the knees in order to keep him from continuing his backward plummet. They stayed like that for a moment, "You almost dropped me…" Roxas finally gasped.

"Ah, but I didn't! Did I?" Axel chuckled.

Roxas released his death grip on Axel's head and turned the flask over in his hand. "Its got writing on it… I don't think this is something that Vexen made himself…"

"What? What does it say?" Axel glanced up at the flask dangling in front of his forehead.

Roxas squinted, reading the faded old print on the red substance. "It looks REALLY old… It says… Philosopher's Stone… Keep out of reach of children… Pets… Suits of Armour… And vertically challenged Military Alchemists…"

"What the… That's not it, toss it." Axel growled, disappointed.

Roxas chucked it, shattering it against the wall. The red liquid fell to the floor and then pooled together on the ground forming a hard stone. "Hey that was cool, I wonder if there's more…" He glanced back up at the cabinet, suddenly catching sight of another red flask on the top shelf were the Philosopher's stone had been. He whacked Axel on the top of the head and then pointed, "THERE! Let's try that one…"

"What am I? You're stupid Chocobo?" Axel snarled rubbing his head.

"YES! NOW MUSH!" Roxas ordered, fighting back a snicker.

Roxas stretched out again, snatching the second red flask and holding it down in front of Axel's face, "This it?"

Axel took it and looked it over, "There's no writing…" He opened the cork in the top, instantly the thick smell of roses filled the room. "Yeah that's it." He corked it quickly, his eyes watering from the overly potent scent.

"Great, let's get outta here before Vexen comes back…" Roxas dropped to his feet and nearly ran for the door.

"Fine by me, I've had enough of this freak show…" Axel snorted as he stuffed the flask into his pocket.

Meanwhile, much further down the hallway a certain unconscious musician was slowly starting to wake from his slumber. Demyx leaned forward with a loud groan escaping him; clutching the towel Larxene had pillowed his head with in one hand as he tenderly rubbed his aching forehead with the other. He blinked, trying to bring his eyes into focus as he pulled the towel up into his lap and stared at it blankly. The haze that seemed to fog his mind finally cleared as he examined the towel, it was covered with spots of blood. His blue eyes widen with horror as he pulled his gaze from the towel to the puddles of blood and yet another discarded towel a few feet away.

"This… Blood…. And this… This is Larxy's towel!! And that's… That's Mar Mar's!!" Demyx jumped to his feet, frantically looking around, "SAIX!! SAIX!!" He stopped calling, tears starting to well up in his eyes, "NO! MY SITAR ATE THEM ALL!!" He screamed running back toward the stairs.


	8. The Haunting

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**Chapter 8: The Haunting**

There's a dangerous little creature on the loose now, Axel and Roxas have a mysterious and powerful potion in their grasp, and now Demyx has awakened to find his comrades gone and he is now all alone. And what's this, there's some strange echoing steps coming from around the corner, will Demyx investigate or will he run and find help from a certain Cloaked Schemer…

Demyx stood, still holding Larxene's bloodstained towel in his hand as he took a few wobbly steps back towards the stairs. His mind was reeling from the scene he had awakened to; he didn't know where to go or what he should do now. He just stood, staring blankly down the hallway. He reached up with one hand and nervously ran his fingers through his mussed hair. It still felt sticky from when Marluxia had smeared honey into it earlier. Without too much thought, he dropped the towel to the floor and cupped his hands together in front of him; a bubble of water seemed to form and grow out of thin air, floating just above his open palms. He then bent over and ran the water through his hair, letting the bubble burst and fall to the ground in a splash.

He stayed hunched over, hair dripping, as he stared down at Larxene's towel and the puddle of water that now mixed with his own tears, "What should I do?" He picked back up the towel and held it close as though he was trying to protect it as he continued to slowly stumble to the staircase.

A thought suddenly hit him, 'its morning now, if I could get help, and show them this mess, they will HAVE to believe me.' He broke into a dead run for the stairs, but another thought suddenly stopped him dead in his tracks, 'But Saix was trying to tell me something…' His mental conversation with no one paused as he stared down the dark staircase, 'he honestly thought my Sitar wasn't the problem. So what then? If it's not my Sitar, then that means something else is doing this… Some creature maybe… Maybe it even took control of my Sitar…' Demyx twitched, looking around as though someone had just called out to him and he wasn't able to see where the sound had come from, 'I'll have to be careful…'

A few moments later the Melodious Nocturne was leaning against the wall in the stairway, he could almost swear that he could feel something pounding in his chest but knew full well that it was impossible. He slid down a few more steps, flattening further against the wall as though he was trying to sneak up on someone or something round the corner. His mind was racing, trying to recall what had led to his being alone in this sort of situation. Once again his mind wandered over the last scene he could recall. Larxene and Marluxia were arguing, while Saix seemed to be loosing his patience with them both. After that, things got fuzzy and then that's when he woke up. He glanced down at the towel in his hand; a whimper escaped him as he forced himself to continue.

There was a sound, echoing in the hallway, forcing Demyx to fall completely silent not even daring to breath. It sounded like heavy, tired boots across the marble floors. Or perhaps it could even be the slothful trudging of some hideous dreadful sitar possessing monster. He did notice that the steps sounded off somehow, they were making a sort of scuffing sound as though the being that was coming nearer was limping or having a bit of trouble walking. Demyx leaned further into the wall, wishing he could somehow just disappear into it.

It wasn't long before a black figure rounded the corner of the stairway; a man judging by the deep weary groan that was escaping beneath his shadowed hood. The stranger suddenly came to a screeching halt and nearly jumping out of his skin at the sight of Demyx pressed against the wall with his eyes scrunched tight in fear.

"DEMYX!! What in the name of Kingdom Hearts are you DOING lurking around in dark corners like that!?"

Demyx suddenly recognized the stranger's voice and opened one of his tightly closed eyes to confirm the source of the voice. "XEMMY!! THANK GOODNESS!!" He launched himself at the Superior, nearly knocking him off his feet, the force of the encounter throwing Xemnas' hood back to reveal silvery hair and tired dark rimmed yellow eyes.

"Erm… Demyx…" Xemnas started to try and pry the distraught musician off of him, but faltered as Demyx continued to wail. Number Nine's dark words catching his attention and forcing him to listen.

"EVERYONE'S GETTING KILLED!! First it was Axel and probably Roxas since they're ALWAYS together, and now Larxene, Marluxia, and Saix are gone!! There was blood everywhere and Larxy and Mar Mar's towels were the only thing left!! What should we do?" Demyx cried as he slipped down to his knees, still clinging to Xemnas' waist.

"First of all, let go…" Xemnas shooed him off and then stepped back, limping slightly as his leg threatened to give out. Demyx noticed the odd movement and looked up at his Superior questioningly, "Now tell me, what has happened? What is this about blood?" Xemnas straitened, hiding the pain that was now shooting up his leg and settling into the middle of his back.

Demyx stared at him blankly, inwardly going over all the reactions that he had received from everyone else he had told about his Sitar, "I… Um… You won't believe me… Nobody has so far, and they're all dead now."

Xemnas' eyebrow arched, "Try me…"

"My Sitar… Ate them…" Demyx bluntly stated; searching the other's face for any sign of what he was afraid would come next.

Xemnas slowly closed his eyes, and then turned and started limping up the stairs. Demyx was startled, he scrambled to his feet and started to follow, "Xemmy, wait! Where are you going?"

Xemnas paused and sighed, "Demyx, I don't have time for your games right now. Just go tell Axel to knock it off or face disciplinary actions…"

"But… But… Axel's…" Demyx stuttered only to be cut off.

Xemnas glanced back over his shoulder, his yellow eyes were cold and piercing, "I have had a very rough night… Now take your silly little game and go else where with it."

Demyx fell silent and watched as the superior left him alone once more, he turned sat down on the bottom step, "Well at least he didn't ask what I had been smoking…" He sat for a moment and then turned to look back up the empty stairs, "Why was he limping?"

Once more Demyx's overactive paranoid mind started to whir into all sorts of scenarios, "What if he knows what's going on… He knows my Sitar ate them, and maybe it nearly got him too… That's why he's limping! That's why he didn't ask me what I was smoking! Because he believes me but can't say anything for fear of my Sitar's wrath!" He paused mid rant as an image of Saix's face flashed across his mind, "Poor, Saix, why didn't he believe me… If he had only believed me maybe he wouldn't…" Demyx shot to his feet with more determination, "I can't let anyone else get eaten! I need to get help!"

There was a sudden loud noise from the floor above; it was something like that really annoying squeak sound wet shoes make across linoleum followed by a loud 'THUNK' and then a yelp of pain. Demyx turned and stared up the stairs, suddenly remembering that he had rinsed out his hair leaving a large puddle of water near the top of the stairs. He fingered his damp hair unconsciously just before breaking into a dead run for the little kitchen where he had first told Saix the whole story; the only thing worse than a crazed sitar would be the Superior's wrath.

Meanwhile, near the kitchen a dark swirling portal of shadows opened and then closed, leaving Axel and Roxas standing near the door way. Roxas sighed, "So, uh… Why didn't we use the portal sooner?"

Axel blinked, remaining silent for a few seconds, "Because… Someone could have sensed it…"

"Liar, you just didn't think of it. You get your sick kicks from almost being caught don't you!" Roxas slugged him in the arm and then left him for something more important, "I'm hungry… I want toast…"

Axel was still rubbing the sore spot inflicted by his best friend, "OUCH! You little jerk… And that is NOT the reason! You just don't have any respect for the art…"

Roxas ignored Axel as he entered the kitchen and nearly walked strait into Xaldin. The taller nobody stepped back and looked down at Roxas, "What was that?"

"It was just Axel being stupid…" Roxas snorted and pushed past him.

"I didn't mean him, I meant that yell…" Xaldin glanced out the door as Axel walked in.

Axel patted him on the cheek and snickered, "Nuthin', you're just going crazy."

The smirk quickly faded when Xaldin held the tip of one of his spears threateningly close to his nose. "Don't get funny with me, unless you want this jammed up your nose and lodged in your small pathetic brain."

"Point taken…" Axel nervously laughed and slowly backed away.

"uuuugh… That was a bad pun too, stab him Xaldin…" Roxas called over his shoulder as he opened the fridge and glanced around, he paused or a moment and stared at something before pulling out a can of whipped cream as a strange sort of smirk quickly passed over his lips. Then he moved on to one of the cupboards, searching for the real sustenance he craved.

Xaldin didn't say another word to Axel; he just turned back to the counter and picked up the milk he had left when he had been distracted by the odd sound. Roxas glanced out of the corner of his eye, watching as Xaldin poured a big bowl of cereal. It wasn't so much that man was eating cereal that caught his attention; it was what kind of cereal he found odd. "Xaldin… You're eating Demyx's Lucky Charms?"

"They're magically delicious…" He stated flatly as he turned with his precious bowl and went to sit down.

Roxas chuckled as he closed the cupboard he was looking in and then started to reach for the next one, only to be interrupted by a warning from the Nobody that was now devouring some pink hearts and blue moons, "Careful, that cupboard is jammed full… Some stuff fell out on Luxord."

"Yeah whatever" Axel leaned over Roxas and flung open the cupboard door before Roxas could stop him. The next thing they both new a large opened bag of flour toppled over and landed square on top of Axel's head, showering them both with white powder.

Between the unison coughing and sneezing, Xaldin allowed a wicked smirk to streak across his face, "I told you…"

"You set that up, I know it…" Axel snarled over his shoulder, sneezing suddenly and sending a cloud of white floating into the air.

Xaldin shot Axel a very scary death glare and then turned back to his marshmallow stars, "No, contrary to what you think… Not everyone gets their petty kicks from duping fools." He snorted.

"He just called you a fool…" Roxas elbowed his friend right in the ribs, edging him on towards a fight.

Axel snarled and then started to take a threatening step towards Xaldin, but a strange sound stopped him. It almost sounded like snoring. He looked down at Roxas, who returned the same curious look.

The sound was coming from the other side of the room, from the small couch that was arranged with its backside to the little table Xaldin was currently occupying. It faced a small TV that was put in the little kitchen area in order to keep the larger entertainment room free of food that would most likely spill and stain the new white carpet Xemnas had ordered.

"It's Zexion…" Xaldin stated flatly, knowing perfectly well what was on both their minds.

"Well I can understand falling asleep in front of a TV, but all night?" Axel pondered, aloud.

"I don't think so… Zexion is more of a reader, and besides the TV isn't even on." Roxas added.

"He came down about an hour ago… He said that there was some sort of yelling and it woke him up." Xaldin turned, eyeing the two, "You wouldn't know anything about what's been going on around here, would you?"

"Us? Why should we know anything?" Axel looked a little too innocent while Roxas just shook his head, also looking too innocent to be truthful.

Xaldin snorted, "Yeah, I bet. You're just a bunch of perfect little angels aren't you?" He pushed back from the table and then walked over to the sink, setting the bowl down with a slight clatter. "You know sooner or later you're going to catch it. Someone is going to finally have enough and you're going to get a taste of your own for a change." And with those foreboding words he turned to leave, coming to a sudden stop when a smaller Nobody slammed right into his chest.

"Watch where you're going, Nocturne… You should know better than to run in the hallway like that." Xaldin grunted as he walked past Demyx who was now sitting on the ground holding his head.

Demyx shook his head, clearing the little bubbles of confusion from his senses, "XALDIN!! You've got to help me!!" The smaller Nobody yelled bringing the other to a short pause.

Xaldin chuckled, and then continued on his way down the hallway; "If you want to play, your two little buddies are in there…" He nodded for the kitchen and started walking away. "Get them to play with you; it might keep them out of whatever mischief they're planning."

Demyx stood up nervously rubbing his hands together, "But Axel and Roxas were…" He paused, thinking over his words, "but they were eaten…"

Xaldin stopped in his tracks, slowly turning and giving Demyx the ol' where-you-born-a-nutter-or-just-became-that-way-overnight look. "What are you…?" He was startled suddenly by the death glare Demyx shot him, causing him to pause mid sentence, "…Talking about?"

Demyx sighed; relieved that it didn't turn into the question he thought it would be. "Well…"

Meanwhile, Axel and Roxas had heard the discussion; a chuckle broke the silence in the room quickly followed by Axel's quiet voice, "Demyx thinks we were both eaten by his Sitar… Heh, I was wondering what happened with him…"

Roxas nodded, "Axel, maybe we should let him know we're ok… I mean you know how he is. What if he has some sort of mental breakdown?"

"All in good time little buddy…" Axel paused looking back at the couch and then over at his little friend, "But first we have some business to attend to… Before anyone else shows up… While there are no witnesses." The wicked little smirk returned as he tip-toed quietly to the back of the couch, Roxas right behind him, a horrified expression on his face.

Roxas grabbed him by the sleeve, shaking his head, trying to tell Axel to let this one go. But it was useless. No matter how many times Roxas tried, he knew that things would always end up going the way that Axel wanted them to. So when the younger Nobody was met with the usual mischievous smirk he just sighed giving up with out too much of a fight. He may as well have fun with it instead.

They crept up on the couch, peeking over the back down on the sleeping form of Zexion. His silvery grey-blue hair had fallen back near his ears, revealing more of his 'angelic' peaceful face than either of the other two had ever seen before.

"Awww… Isn't he cute…? Sleeping so innocently… You wouldn't think he'd be the type to have blackmail dirt on every one in this Organization would you…" Axel leaned to the side, barely even whispering the words to his friend.

Roxas glanced over at Axel, the fear of the mighty Schemer brand vengeance being pushed to the back of his young mind as he locked eyes with the taller Nobody. Once he had Axel's attention, Roxas then looked down at the whipped cream in his hands, silently suggesting the ol' whip cream smear prank. Axel shook his head 'no' and then pulled the mighty Sharpie Pen of Doom out of his pocket with a quick wink. The classic whip cream prank would result in the victim waking from their once peaceful sleep, catching the pranksters right away. This wouldn't exactly be the best thing to do with a man like Zexion who had the powers of Emo and Illusions on his side.

Roxas smirked, but then it faded as he pointed at the pen and tapped his nose. It was true; Sharpies do have a distinct smell… And Zexion was very keen on scents. It would probably be enough to wake him from his sweet slumber.

Axel eyed the pen, and nodded as he pulled Roxas closer, "quickly, then we run…" He whispered into his friend's ear.

Axel uncapped the pen and then quickly scrawled something across Zexion's perfect face. Handing the pen quickly to Roxas, who also scribbled something before they both jumped up and bolted for the door.

Zexion's nose winkled, as a faint strangled moan escaped his lips. For a moment he felt a presence, some sort of Disturbance in the Force, but the terrible smell of flour and ink quickly faded. He turned in his half asleep state and then started to drift back off into his own dreams.

Axel and Roxas slid to a stop in the middle of the hallway, looking forward down the hall at a familiar face standing just a few feet in front of them. His sea green eyes widened in shock at what he was seeing before him, his bottom lip trembled slightly making it seem like he was about to break out into tears.

Axel smiled, raising a hand in a greeting gesture, "Yo! Demyx!"

Demyx let out a strangled scream and turned to bolt away, the only thing that stopped him in his escape was the door that flung open to his left, slamming right into his face and sending him sprawling backwards across the floor.

Luxord peeked around the edge of the door, "Good grief, Man… You shouldn't scream like that, I thought someone was dying out here!" He glanced up at Axel and Roxas, "Oh, you guys got nailed by the bag of flour too? Well the bathroom's free, have at it." He waived as he left.

Axel was laughing hysterically now; he didn't even stop when Roxas slapped him in the stomach with the back of his hand as he walked past to check on Demyx.

"Demyx?" Roxas called as he crouched down next to the fallen Musician, "Demyx, are you ok?"

"Aw, he'll live…" Axel groaned as he joined his friend, yet there was the slightest hint of concern that flashed across his face.

"Why did he freak out like that?" Roxas glanced over his shoulder at Axel.

Axel rubbed his chin for a second and then without warning slapped Roxas up along the backside of his head, sending a cloud of white flour floating down on Demyx. "That's why! He thinks we're dead... And the flour makes us look all pasty and ghost-like"

"WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIT ME TO MAKE THE POINT!!" Roxas yelled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Aw, suck it up, ya big baby." Axel chuckled.

"This isn't very funny anymore, Axel! I mean look at him!" Roxas motioned towards Demyx who was still out cold and looked like he'd just run a marathon, and then been attacked by a pack of Rabid heartless after doing a few rounds against Sephiroth.

"How's that my fault, he's a klutz... He probably ran into a couple doors." Axel pouted and looked away; inwardly he was trying to reason things out so that he wouldn't feel quite so guilty about the whole thing. He finally let out an irritated grunt, shooting a glare at Roxas out of the corner of his eye. "What are you, my conscience now?"

Satisfied that he had finally pricked Axel's guilty mind, Roxas turned back and gently tapped the unconscious musician on the cheek, calling his name. Soon, Demyx leaned up on one arm and rubbed his head with his other hand, "ouchies… My head hurts…" He looked up at Roxas and Axel who were looking back at him with concern.

"Demyx, are you ok?" Roxas asked, inching closer again.

"Well that's what happens when you slam your face into a door, Stupid." Axel snorted at Demyx.

Demyx stared at them both, his eyes wide with horror at what he was seeing. It was in fact Axel and Roxas sitting there in front of him… White… As… Sheets. He let out a terrified squeal and scuttled backwards until he was pressed flat against the wall, "MY SITAR DID EAT YOU BOTH!! PLEASE DON'T HAUNT ME!! I'M SORRY, I COULDN'T STOP IT!! I'M SORRY!!"

Axel and Roxas sat dumbfounded for a moment before Axel broke out into an evil fit of laughter, "CORRECT!! Your carelessness led to this grizzly end for us…" He shifted letting his head fall on Roxas' shoulder, hiding his face as he began to sob over his 'lost life'.

Roxas sat for a moment, a dull glazed look in his eyes, "Get away from me…"

Axel suddenly straitened up, a new determination burning in his eyes as he suddenly leaned close to Demyx, "But… We're here to warn you that your sitar is out for your Soul as well, Muah ha ha…. Got that Memorized?"

"ALL RIGHT!! JUST PLEASE… DON'T HAUNT ME…." Demyx curled up and began to sniffle.

A loud sound echoed from the kitchen, it almost sounded like something hitting the floor and then the scuffling sound of heavy boots upon marble. A gentle yet irritated voice echoed from room a few feet away, "What in the name of Daniel Boone's sweat stained gym socks is GOING ON out there!!"

Axel jumped to his feet, grabbing Roxas by the sleeve and yanked him back as they disappeared into a dark portal leaving Demyx curled up into a ball, hands over his eyes and chanting something about happy places.

"Can't a guy get ANY sleep around here?!" Zexion stepped out into the hallway; the only thing there was Demyx panicking in the fetal position. His irritation at being woken up yet again faded a little as he kneeled down and started to pull Demyx's hands away from his face, "Demyx, are you ok? What happened?"

Demyx let out another squeal of fright when he felt Zexion's hands on his wrist, "LEAVE ME ALONE!!" He peeked between his fingers for just a second before scrunching his eyes tight, but then his mind suddenly registered that it wasn't Axel and Roxas before him now. "Zezzy? ZEZZY, IT'S YOU!!" He launched himself at Zexion, nearly strangling him.

Zexion choked and struggled to free himself from Demyx's death grip around his neck as the musician cried about some really odd gibberish involving Saix, Marluxia, Larxene, Axel, and Roxas all being killed by his Sitar. "Demyx, leggo... Demyx…" Zexion gasped.

Demyx suddenly released his captive, "Sorry… It's just… I had to make sure you were real! Everyone keeps dieing on me… Or they won't believe me... And Xaldin laughed at me!" Demyx paused as he recalled the most recent let down.

Xaldin stood before him in the hallway, arms folded behind his back and his jaw set as he listened to the Story Demyx was relaying. There had been a long pause after the smaller Nobody had finished, he stood there waiting for the larger and stronger looking Nobody to say something or make some kind of acknowledgement that he had even heard what had been said. That's when the usually pensive Whirlwind Lancer burst into a fit of uncontrollable booming laughter. He turned, still snickering and walked away leaving Demyx alone and hopeless.

Demyx shook his head, trying to rid himself of the images that invaded his mind, "You have to help me Zexy!!"

Zexion scratched the back of his head, still confused, "Um…What exactly happened, Demyx? I don't..."

"My Sitar ate Axel and Roxas and now their dead and trying to haunt me I think… And Saix didn't believe me… He kept trying to tell me my sitar wasn't eating people, but he was going to help me anyway. Only we had to help Larxene and Marluxia first and now all three of them are dead… There's blood all over the upstairs hallway and the only thing left was Larxy's towel… And something happened to the Superior… I think my Sitar might have wounded him…" He sniffled.

Zexion blinked, "What do you mean everyone keeps dieing on you? Their Scent is still strong… So what's going on?" His voice was calm but still confused sounding.

Demyx was staring at Zexion, a strange sort of befuddled look on his face as he listened. Zexion fidgeted under the unnerving gaze, "What?"

"What… Happened to your face?" Demyx pondered aloud as Zexion reached up and touched his cheek, suddenly remembering that scent he thought he had dreamed.

The Cloaked Schemer jumped to his feet ducking into the bathroom and pulling the door shut with a loud slam behind him. Demyx stood up while nervously rubbing his hands together as he glanced behind him; he felt as though something terrible was about to happen. He looked down at his hands, finally taking notice of the odd white powder that was all over them and down his chest. He ran a finger over his coat, inspecting the substance, temporarily forgetting his plight and Zexion's face. Yet this moment of forgetfulness was all too brief.

Despite the disturbances in these early morning hours, the Castle had been relatively peaceful, that is… Until this moment. Suddenly an ear-shattering scream echoed through every hallway, rang in every ear, and shattered even more windows. The entire Castle seemed to shake from its very core as the Illusionist's voice echoed throughout.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Saix stumbled as the castle shook; leaning against the wall with one hand to steady himself during the tremor. Larxene and Marluxia fell against each other and used each other as support in order to keep from falling to the floor.

"What was that?" Larxene looked around, bewildered by the display of power.

"Surely he wouldn't have…" Marluxia gasped.

The wall nearest them split, a crack running up the surface about halfway before stopping in a jagged point as the terribly horrifying scream died. Saix straitened up, looking back at the other two. "Zexion has dirt on nearly everyone in the Organization… Including Xemnas… So of course he would be a likely hit." He continued down the hallway, to resume his search for Demyx, "but I never would have imagined that someone would be that stupid." He whispered.


	9. Red Sky At Morning

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**Chapter 9: Red Sky at Morning**

… I'm nearly too scared to even make an end of chapter author summary comment thingy… Dear, dear Axel… You have wrangled your little friend into doing the unthinkable against someone like… Zexion… Oh his face… His beautiful face… What will happen? I fear that perhaps Organization 13 will soon be Organization 11 in the distant future…

The Melodious Nocturne jumped; his mind ripped from pondering the white substance on his coat and gloves and placed back on what was more important. He knew the reason behind the blood-curdling scream that had just torn asunder what little peace had been left hanging in the air. But this outburst was so unlike the usually quiet and calm Cloaked Schemer; Demyx couldn't help but wonder if Zexion would come out of this all right. He slowly tip toed up to the bathroom door, fidgeting a little before he gently tapped on the cold white surface of the entry.

"Zezzy…"

"Leave me alone…" The voice inside was quiet, but laced with a tremor of annoyance.

Demyx flinched at the sound of the other's voice, yet continued to tap on the door lightly "Zezzy, are you ok?" He whispered again ignoring the warning. Inwardly he was not even sure he wanted to know the answer to that question, especially after all the things he'd seen this morning. But he didn't want to leave Zexion alone in this state; he'd never seen that sort of startled look on his face before. He'd never seen much of any sort of emotion flash across the Schemer's face, except for an evil smirk or the occasional dull boredom once in a blue moon.

The door suddenly flung open missing Demyx's nose by just a fraction of an inch, revealing a Nobody with the usual grey-blue hair that hung over his right eye, but now there was the fire of blind fury burning in his other visible deep blue eye, "DO I LOOK ALRIGHT TO YOU? DO I?" He growled through clenched teeth.

Demyx looked him over; the other Nobody looked the same as he always did, except for his unusual behaviour and the dark black doodle of a monocle over his left eye, a swirly heart on the tip of his nose, as well as a rather villainous looking ink moustache. Demyx cleared his throat and then answered, "Well at least they didn't write..." He was cut off before he could finish as Zexion made a sudden and highly unexpected move.

Both his hands shot up to his forehead pulling all the long layers of hair that hung over his eye back up out of his face, the thick black letters spelling out "EMO" across his forehead now clearly visible.

"Oh," Demyx's voice sounded slightly deeper than usual and then fell to silence.

"I AM NOT EMO!! Why does everyone keep saying that? Just because I prefer to remain silent and read, all the sudden every one thinks I have dark issues with life and want to spend my time listening to Goth punk music and ramble about how the world has done me wrong..." Zexion's voice cracked slightly as he walked back into the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror before letting out an agitated 'rar' noise.

"Goth music is kinda cool..." Demyx voiced his thoughts as he stood in the doorway.

"Demyx..." Zexion's voice clearly had the not-another-word tone to it, but that didn't stop the Melodious Nocturne.

"Well it's your hair I think... And you always wear black... And" Demyx started to point out some of the little things that could make someone think 'emo' about Zexion.

"We ALL wear black, Demyx... It's the Uniform... And usually Emo kids wear tight jeans and studded belts… You're thinking Goth..." He paused mid rant and stared at Demyx, "and what about my hair... Excuse me for not looking like I just rolled out of bed with mousse still in my hair like Roxas or like a red Sonic the Hedgehog wanna-be like Axel..." Once again Zexion shot Demyx a look that clearly said, need I continue. He could have started on Demyx and his Mullet but he turned back to the mirror and rubbed at the word across his forehead.

"You know a little soap with those little exfoliating beads things could get that off pretty easily. Mar Mar has some I'm sure… And he won't mind if you use it since he's dead now…."

Zexion blinked at the refection of Demyx in the mirror, willing himself to calm down, "Demyx… Marluxia is still alive… I can smell his terrible flowery stink as if he were here in the room right now…." His voice wavered, but the angered sting was starting to die down a little.

'But my Sitar… And the blood… It was all over the hallway." Demyx argued as he nervously leaned back and glanced down the hallway, a thought suddenly struck him "Look! Here's Larxy's blood soaked towel!" He pulled the towel out of his coat and held it out to Zexion.

The slightly shorter Nobody eyed the bloody towel; inwardly wondering why the other would keep a disgusting bloody towel tucked neatly down the front of his coat, but decided to cut to the chase instead of voicing his quandaries, "It's your blood… Not hers." He stated flatly.

Demyx stared at him as the gears whirred in his head, "but… Wait, that means… Larxy and Mar Mar are fine?! And Saix too?"

Zexion sighed; he was quickly finding it hard to remain terribly enraged in the presence of someone as innocent and kind as Demyx, "Yes, Demyx, they're fine… They're still here and alive. I told you, all of their scents are strong…" He sighed.

There was an overjoyed expression that swept across his face as a sigh of relief escaped the Melodious Nocturne's lips, but then his expression faded quickly into blank pondering. It was now Zexion's turn to be worried about facial expressions. The odd look on Demyx's face began to bother him; it was an expression he'd never seen on the other's face before. A strange sort of deep thought that seemed to grow further into some sort of irritated look as the moments passed.

"Demyx?" His curiosity finally got the best of him, but Demyx didn't answer right away and when he did the words were not very clear.

"Saix…" Demyx whispered as his mind ran through something that wasn't clear to Zexion. "He said it wasn't… My Sitar… But I heard it… I saw… All the blood, the things my sitar said... But then there was Marly's hair… And your face…" Things were starting to click together. The odd way his Sitar had in the way it spoke, the things that Saix had said, the fact that everyone was alive and well, and then finally all the odd things that were happening to all those around him. Everything was starting to come together and paint a larger picture in his mind as he finally began to understand.

Zexion tilted his head, listening to the odd ramblings. His own plight was quickly forgotten as he tried to figure out what was going on in his companion's head, "Demyx? What are you talking about?"

Demyx fell silent, glancing down again and inspecting the white substance that was now falling off in little dusty clouds. He suddenly looked up from under his damp fallen hair at Zexion; the look caused the Cloaked Schemer to take a step back. There was a fiery anger that seemed to be smouldering behind those sea green eyes that surely no one had ever seen before.

Without a single word Demyx turned suddenly, his hand shot up into the air as a portal of swirling darkness ripped open with such force it sent a gust of wind down the hallway snapping the long leather of his coat like a whip behind him. Zexion stood silently watching with bewilderment set on his face as Demyx disappeared into the swirling shadows. He didn't pull his gaze from the shrinking darkness until a voice called him back.

"Demyx! Zexion!" The female voice that called him back from his thoughts grew louder with the sound of bare feet running up the hallway to him. Zexion turned to find Larxene as she slowed and came to a stop before him. "Where did he go? What happened, Zexi…On…" Larxene fell silent as she finally noticed the markings all over Zexion's face.

Saix followed, coming to a stop behind Larxene as he eyed Zexion, noting the doodles on his face, "So it was you."

Zexion didn't say a word; his lips tightened into a thin line as he glanced away, letting his hair fall further and hide his face more. Inwardly wishing he could have joined Demyx in his escape than be caught like this by the likes of them.

Marluxia gracefully walked up as floating cherry petals danced on a light breeze and fell before his bare feet, reaching up to do what would have normally been a stunningly beautiful hair flip but stopped mid-motion and pulled his hand a way sticky with honey. "Ugh, he'll pay for that… That little…" He paused when he caught sight of Zexion.

There was a moment of silence; Marluxia just stared blankly at Zexion leaning closer to inspect the doodles, and then suddenly burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. "Oh that one's by far worse than the one they pulled on me…" He whipped a tear from his eye as he chuckled, only to find himself frozen by the tiniest sound that seemed to echo and grow louder in his ears.

'Click'

Zexion stood in the middle of the now silent hall, gently tapping a camera against his temple teasingly. "Nice bathrobe, milady, it's so elegant and beautiful on you… Such a pretty lady… I'm sure the Superior would love to see this photo; I mean you look so lovely when you laugh. Or better yet, perhaps I'll let Xigbar have a copy of this one…" A wicked little smirk twisted his calm features into an evil image of malice.

A feminine chuckle echoed in Marluxia's ear, "He's got you again. From this view point I'd say you make it a little too easy." Larxene slapped him on the shoulder as she turned and walked strait up to inspect the doodles on Zexion.

Zexion leaned back, not entirely sure he liked how close the Savage Nymph was getting to his face. She let out a little 'hmmm' noise as she looked him over.

"Beep!" She chuckled as she poked the heart on Zexion's nose like a button.

Zexion flailed trying to slap her hands away as she continued to poke his nose and make beeping noises, "Don't touch me!"

Saix let out a low moan, "Now is not the time to be playing games."

"Aw, but it's cute... This looks like Roxas' handy work." Larxene chuckled as she poked Zexion's nose again.

"I said DON'T TOUCH ME!!" Zexion was starting to turn a shade of rosy pink from either embarrassment or irritation.

"Enough already" Saix barked, then willed himself to calm down, "We need to figure out were Demyx is before that creature tracks him down."

Zexion's anger fizzled as quickly as it had come upon him, "Creature?" His attention was suddenly ripped from Saix back to Larxene as she started touching his hair.

"There's somethin' under your bangs what does it say?" Larxene was trying to move his hair out of the way as he ducked and dodged her hands.

"I SAID DON"T TOUCH ME!!" He howled fearful that she would be able to read the word on his forehead.

"Larxene! Stop touching him!" Saix snapped.

"You sound like my Somebody's mother..." Marluxia was chuckling until Saix shot him a death glare that could have stopped a charging bull.

"Are we quite done now?" Saix growled, as three heads nodded yes.

"So... What about a creature?" Zexion was the first to break the silence that had followed.

"One of Vexen's experiments got loose a little bit ago. Some kind of..." Larxene was suddenly interrupted by the Graceful Assassin behind her.

"Hideously disgusting sin against nature..." He filled in, eyes wide in horror as though the creature was still lurking over his head.

"I'm afraid that it might be attracted to the scent of blood. So it may be able to track Demyx down." Saix paused, an unusual look of worry flashed across his face, "I shouldn't have left him behind like that."

"Aw, come one, Saix... Obviously he's fine, he was just with Zexion, and you know full well that when he nosebleeds it's like some sort of disgusting fountain." Larxene chuckled, taking her gaze off of Saix and glancing at Zexion, "he gets it everywhere but on himself..." In her own way she was trying to ease the worried minds of her companions.

Zexion listened, somewhat confused but not too terribly lost after the rambles Demyx had subjected him to. He cleared his throat and then spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, "but he has your bloody towel stuffed down his coat."

Larxene stood silent for a moment; her eyes grew wide, "THAT IDIOT!! What kind of moron does something stupid like that! Now that... That... THAT THING... Can track him!" Her once carefree tone was no longer there.

"He said it was all that was left of all you." Zexion paused looking at Saix, "he said that he woke up in the middle of a bloody hallway and nobody was there, the only thing left was that bloody towel. So he thought you were all eaten..."

Saix raised his hand to his face, letting out a groan, "I REALLY should have known better than to leave him there."

Marluxia chuckled, pulling his attention from inspecting his perfectly manicured nails to the others, "Oh please, is he still on that about his Sitar eating people. Let him run around and be an idiot, I just want to find Axel."

"Oh, yeah... What do YOU care, eh Barbie, you're too busy checking your perfect little nails to care about anything else!" Larxene turned and snapped at the other Nobody.

"And since when did you start giving a moogles' behind about anything but yourself you little harpy!" Marluxia snarled back, readying for a full on verbal battle with the Savage Nymph.

"KNOCK IT OFF, both of you!" The Luna Diviner's voice echoed in the hall with a loud voice of authority, bringing the argument to a sudden screeching halt.

Zexion watched and then glanced at Saix, "How long have you been putting up with that..."

"Far too long for this early..." Saix sighed, "Did he say anything else to you, what happened before he left, perhaps we can figure out where he went based on what he said and did."

Zexion nodded, "he told me the whole story, and he thought you all were dead for a bit. But I told him that I could still make out your scents so it was impossible." Zexion paused, "that's when he started acting strange. I don't know what he meant but he muttered something about you and his sitar saying something odd." He nodded at Saix, "and then something about my face and Marluxia's hair. Then he got angry..."

All three of the other Nobodies that were listening twitched. Larxene tilted her head, "Angry?"

"Demyx?" Marluxia's expression twisted into pure confusion as he tried to picture the musician being angry.

"Yes, angry... I've never seen anything like that expression on his face. He summoned a portal and left just as Larx ran up."

"He finally understood." Saix said as he crossed his arms over his chest, "he knows what happened now, which means he's going to go and check on something very dear to him in order to confirm it. After that... Who knows what will happen."

"Then we should go find him before something happens." Zexion turned, calling a darkness portal to open before them.

Saix and Marluxia disappeared into the swirling void, then just as Zexion was about to step into the darkness he felt a tug on his sleeve, turning him back to look at the temporarily Not-So-Savage Nymph.

"Was he really that angry?" She asked quietly.

"I've never seen that sort of look on his face for as long as I've known him. I fear for what's about to happen." He whispered back.

While the four had been standing in the hallway discussing the mood swings of the resident water elementalist, there was a storm brewing elsewhere in the castle. A strange sort of peace, a calm before the storm, the quiet beginning of all chaos was starting to move into effect.

Axel walked down the middle of the hallway, arms folded back behind his head as he lazily marched along, a tight little smirk playing at his lips as he stared blindly at the ceiling high above them.

Roxas was nervously walking backwards, eyeing the direction they had come since re-emerging from the portal. The adrenalin rush that was so strong just moments ago was finally starting to settle and leave him with a tiny bit of peace, "Axel... We should really call it quits now." His voice sounded small in the large empty hallway.

Axel let out an 'hn' noise and stopped, looking back at his little friend, "Something wrong?"

"Well, no, but we almost got caught back there… A couple times actually... And that last time by Zexion of all people. I don't even what to imagine the sort of thing he would do if he knew it was us, let alone caught us... After doing THAT to his face." Roxas fidgeted, mentally trying to brush away the worst scenarios that were trying to invade his mind.

"He is a little on the vain side sometimes, kinda reminds me of Marluxia a little. But I doubt he'd do anything harsh, and besides, he didn't catch us. So why worry." Axel chuckled as he continued his slow pace down the hall,

"I wish I had your nerves of steal, don't you get afraid that someone is going to... Oh I don't know nail your butt to the wall one of these days?"

Axel slowed to a stop again, looking around as though he could pluck the answer right out of the air. He finally sighed, "No..."

"What about Demyx then..." Roxas eyed him, if fear didn't work maybe guilt would.

A loud guffaw broke the silence, "Like HE could ever take me down..."

"That's NOT what I meant and you know it." Roxas glared at the redhead standing before him.

"Ah come on, what's with you all the sudden, ya big damp towel... Fine, if it makes you feel better we can stop for now..." Axel threw his hands up into the air and then shoved them back in his pockets as he continued on for a few steps before coming to a stop, back still turned.

Roxas nervously scratched his arm looking his friend over with suspicious eyes; it was NEVER that easy to make Axel back down. The only thing he could figure was either Axel had finally tired of their little game or there was a great big 'BUT' coming.

"But it seems to me that you had something in mind... Judging from that little can of whip cream you have in hand there." Axel snickered as he glanced over his shoulder at Roxas.

Roxas twitched, looking down at the can, "I knew it..." Yet even in his defeat he couldn't fight back the little smirk that was tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"So... How 'bout one last victim...I mean... Lucky beneficiary of our attention... And then we call it quits for the morning. Cause it is getting a little... Late in the day." Axel paused as he looked out the dark window then back at Roxas, searching his friend's expression. "So who did you have in mind?"

Roxas twitched again, "Me?"

"Well obviously you had someone in mind when you snatched that from the fridge, and I don't mean Zexion... So who was it that flashed through your noggin as you grabbed that can" He poked Roxas in the middle of the forehead, a wicked grin running across his face as he did so. Inwardly he was quite pleased that he was finally rubbing off on the kid.

Roxas never answered. The wicked grin that widened and spread across his face was answer enough for that evil question.


	10. Avenging Angel

* * *

**Chapter 10: Avenging Angel**

Demyx is angry…Is the world going to end? And who could Roxas have in mind for the next prank? What could this mysterious person have done to the littlest Nobody to make him want to continue this for the sake of vengeance?

This odd room was different than any of the others they had visited this night. It was brightly lit and terribly cluttered much like Vexen's room, but this was not from books and research notes, this room was far dirtier. It almost seemed like some sort of animal lived in this dank smelly den. There were also the odd decorations scattered through out the room: Unique guns in cases, music CDs of strange rock bands such as Aero smith scattered from one end of the room to the other, and the occasional tacky poster of some magazine chick pinned slightly crooked to the walls. And there, strategically placed in the middle of the room, was a hideous green couch that sat right in front of an expensive looking flat plasma screen TV on the wall. Said couch was the exact location of the next target.

Axel and Roxas stepped in unison over the cans that cluttered the floor near the doorway, obviously trash that had just been chucked at the wastebasket near the door and never making it in. They passed a lone, out of place chair with clothes flung over it as they came closer to the couch. Axel's hand shot out suddenly snatching a feather from some freaky looking pirate costume that had been crumpled up on the chair, obviously from the mission the Free shooter had to take over in that world of Pirates and water. Axel shook his head slightly as the costume had begun to bring unwanted memories back to his mind, yet he never missed a step as they continued to creep up on the victim. They moved silently, eyeing the leg that was hanging over the side of the couch. It really wasn't a stealthy operation this time, this victim slept like the dead, and it was fairly obvious when he was deep in dreamland due to the hideous bear like snoring.

Roxas chuckled leaning closer to Axel, "Is he snoring or dying?" The sound of his voice was barely audible over the noise.

"Let's make this quick… He's making me sick…" Axel grimaced as he whispered back.

They stepped forward in unison once again and peered over the back of the couch, their defenceless target was blissfully unawares. His mouth slack, drooling just a little, and his eye patch were slightly askew on his 'peaceful' looking face.

"I want to just, snap it…" Roxas motioned at the askew patch.

"Next time… Maybe…" Axel whispered as he slowly reached over the back of the couch, gently taking a very light hold of Xigbar's left hand and turning it slightly palm up. "Ok…" He barely breathed the word as he nodded.

Roxas took his cue and sprayed a generous amount of whipped cream into the waiting palm of the Free shooter, then nodded at Axel to do his part.

Axel pulled the long feather from where he had tucked it behind his ear and gently brushed it along the side of Xigbar's nose, eliciting a disgruntled mutter and a twitch. Yet the expected result did not come. He did it again, this time running the feather's light tip across the sleeping Nobody's cheek. The same reaction yet again.

No matter how many times Axel tried to coax Xigbar to slap the whipped cream across his face, he received the same reaction. Grunts, twitching, and even a light sneeze at one point.

"Good grief… He sleeps like a rock" Roxas muttered under his breath.

Axel was rubbing the bridge of his nose and sighed, "I'll try one more thing…" He steadied himself as he leaned over the back of the couch further; taking the tip of the feather and practically shoving it up Xigbar's nose.

Finally a hand flew up and rubbed the tip of his nose, yet another grunt of annoyance escaped the target's lips as his right hand fell back, hanging over the side of the couch.

Both Axel and Roxas groaned turning and sliding down until they were sitting on their heels. "I don't believe this…" Axel muttered, "Go over on the other side and do the other hand… We'll get him now." Determination burned in his emerald eyes.

Roxas nodded and crawled around to the front of the couch. He emptied the contents of the whipped cream can into Xigbar's other hand. "Ok…" He motioned for Axel to continue.

Axel leaned over the side of the couch again, while Roxas stood and leaned slightly over near the arm of the couch right at Xigbar's head. Axel repeated the trick that had forced their victim to move.

Xigbar finally moved, with swift precision both his hands flew up, smearing the whipped cream in both the faces of his attackers. Before either one could realize what had happened he had grabbed Axel around the neck and drug him over the back of the couch pulling him into headlock as he stood, also yanking a hold on the collar of Roxas' pjs and turning him round into a headlock as well.

"Well, well, well… What DO we have HERE…? Looks like a couple of trouble makers trying to get some kicks by disruptin' my sleepin' habits." Xigbar laughed at the two he had tucked under either arm as Roxas coughed on the whipped cream he had breathed in.

"You made two mistakes, Ladies… One… I don't even go to sleep until the butt crack of dawn… And two… Come on… That's like the oldest trick in the book, you honestly think I'd fall for that High School prank? AS IF…."

"Lemme go Xigbar or I'll…" Axel snarled under his captor's arm, but he couldn't see due to the whipped cream that was now stinging his eyes.

"Or you'll what? Blow me up with one of your little pyrotechnic tricks? Hmmm, Dude, that might be hard, since…" Xigbar released his grip on Roxas, shoving him forward so he stumbled and face planted into the couch leaving him dazed and confused. Then after using his free arm to secure Axel's hands behind his back he continued his explanation, "one, you can't see... And two... I'm about to give you the swirly of a lifetime, and I don't think your kind does too well with water, eh?" He chuckled as Axel blindly tried to free himself from the other's grip, "I couldn't believe it when I heard it, did you two honestly think that you could get away with that many pranks in one night without the higher ups catching on. PUH-LEASE, you shame the art..."

The evil smirk on Xigbar's face only lasted a second. Without warning the room resonated with a ferocious battle cry as Roxas leapt from the couch and landed square in the middle of Xigbar's back. The smaller Nobody latched on refusing to loosen his grip as Xigbar kept a tight hold on Axel. He knew if he lost his grip on Axel everything would go up in a ball of flames... Literally.

"You little weasel, leggo" He tried to shake Roxas, but the smaller nobody had a grip on him like a crazed baby monkey.

Roxas inched his way higher, and then snagged the Free shooter's eye patch, pulling it as far back as he could before letting it snap back. A yelp of pain rang out as Xigbar lost his hold on Axel, covering his face with both hands for a second as the sting died down. Roxas finally lost his grip and fell back to the floor, desperately tying to scuttle off before Xigbar had a chance to retaliate. But he wasn't quite fast enough.

As he tried to crawl for the door Roxas felt a tug on his pant leg as Xigbar pulled him back by the foot, snatching him by the PJ collar pulling him up to his feet and nearly choking him in the process. If he couldn't keep a grip on Axel he knew he was going to need some sort of bargaining chip and Roxas was just the one he needed. "No you don't, little Dude, you are SO going to get it now..."

He just about hand him pinned when the older Nobody made a terrible mistake, his hand slipped on the silky fabric of Roxas' heart Pjs, coming within attack range. Roxas let out a hiss like an enraged cat and then chomped down hard on the other Nobody's hand. Once more a yelp of pain echoed in the room, and once more Xigbar lost his grip on his captive.

"You little snot you fight dirty" He quickly regained his senses, shaking off the throbbing pain in is hand as he snatched the back of Roxas' shirt before he could get too far away.

"Not one more move... Or the Bay Watch babe gets it..." Axel was standing a few feet away, holding out a poster of some swim suit clad beauty with one hand, while he had his other hand positioned threateningly at the bottom corner of the paper, ready to snap a flame that would turn 'her' into a pile of ash.

Xigbar stopped abruptly, letting Roxas slip away. "Fine... Fine... You win, Colonel Mustang..."

"Don't compare me to that alchemic hack..." Axel snarled as the corner of the poster started to smolder.

"FINE ... Just get out of here already..." Xigbar growled as he watched them back towards the door, holding the poster hostage. "But you do realize that you're going to have to answer for this... Someone is going to finally have enough, and you're going to get yours, Dude."

"Perhaps, but not at this time... And not by you..." Axel snickered as he pulled the door closed. A few seconds later the poster slid back under the crack of the closed door accompanied by the sound of hurried steps and a portal opening and closing. The rest was silence.

Xigbar stared at the door, listening to the quiet for a moment before he walked over to the poster. There was an ink moustache and goatee now adorning the once perfect paper face. "Little weasels... That was my favourite one..."

His time to mourn his fallen poster was cut short, once again the sound of Darkness reached his ears, the air in the room shifted slightly as the swirling shadows disappeared, "You were right... It's them." Xigbar sighed as he picked up the poster and rolled it up.

"I figured as much" a low calm voice answered him from behind, "When Demyx started rambling about all those impossible things I figured the disturbances we've been hearing since that 'incident' had to be those two goofing around."

"So what's going to happen now?" Xigbar let a smirk flit across his face at the memory of the incident that had taken place much earlier before he turned to face his Superior.

Once more the Darkness opened before Xemnas as he raised a hand. He paused at the edge of the swirling shadows, barely glancing back over his shoulder "I'll be calling a meeting soon. I'll deal with Axel then." He paused turning further to look back at his companion.

"And what about Roxas? That little snot snapped me" Xigbar snarled as he pointed at his eye patch, and then looked down at his hand, "and BIT me... What kind of cooties am I going to catch from that little rabid monkey?"

Xemnas never looked around; he'd rather the other didn't see the bemused look on his face, "that's what you get for turning your back on him." He stated as he disappeared into darkness.

"Har har... Funny and what if this gets infected... "Xigbar hissed as he shook his throbbing hand.

"I was all ready to call it quits... I was telling you we had a close call with Zexion and Demyx... We needed to stop now while we were ahead... BUT NOOOOO " Roxas was walking ahead of the taller Nobody, looking like he was trying to pick a fight with the air around him as stomped onward.

"You picked him... Not me..." Axel smiled as he rubbed the last of the whipped cream from his eye.

Roxas spun around, glaring up at his friend, "BECAUSE YOU MADE ME you and you're stupid... Sneaky... Arrrgh STUPID" Roxas spun back around again and continued stomping down the hallway.

"So, oh articulate one, what exactly made you decide you wanted to nail Xigbar... Of all people..." Axel scratched his chin thoughtfully as he smiled despite the near capture.

Roxas stopped suddenly, his shoulders tensed, "N...nothing... I just figured... Since he's such a prankster... Sorta... Poetic justice."

"Liar." Axel snorted.

"What? It's the truth" Roxas coughed, his statement marred by the fact that he wouldn't make eye contact to strengthen the declaration.

"Oh please, I saw that giddy look that glossed over your eyes as you chomped down on him... You were like a shark once it gets the taste of blood." Axel laughed.

"EW, don't remind me of that... What kind of cooties am I going to get from him?" Roxas stuck his tongue out and made a "blegh" sound, "I need some Listerine."

"Now, now, subject changer... Why Xigbar?" Axel continued to pry.

Roxas looked away, his jaw starting to set with determination. Axel just folded his arms over his chest and stared at his little friend, the pressure of the look would be enough to break his young companion in just a matter of moments.

Roxas fidgeted, twitching slightly as some sort of nervous convulsion began to take him over, "Don't look at me like that I said it's the Truth so why can't you believe me, what kind of friend are you HE GAVE ME A WEDGIE IN FRONT OF NAMINE!! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW!!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaw... Isn't that cute." Axel poked at Roxas' cheek, "look at 'im pout... Just 'cause a cute girl he's never gotten the guts to even talk to saw his underwear... Stretched over his head."

Roxas slapped his hand away, "Knock it off ya jerk." Roxas took a few steps away but continued his rant. "Her only memory of me will be... 'hey that's the kid that got the horrific wedgie Argh the horror of his screaming and the sight of his boxers are burned into my mind forever '..." He paused his high pitched mimic of Namine's voice, his hands falling limply at his sides "Nice... That's how I want to be remembered."

Axel laughed, "Well maybe you should try making a better impression on her... Actually say something instead of catching sight of her from fifty yards and then running like you have all the Underworld on your heels." Axel paused, "and maybe you shouldn't wear boxers with butterflies on them, Man. 'Cause that was just disturbing... I didn't want to see it so I'm sure she didn't either... Freak."

"Excuse me, but it's your fault... You wouldn't have had to see my boxers if you'd learn to knock BEFORE entering my room..." Roxas snarled, "And I hadn't done my laundry yet... They were the only ones I had left..."

"Uh-huh... Yeah, 'cause we all know you don't normally wear freaky stuff like that..." Axel reached out, pinching the material of Roxas' sleeve and giving it a tug, bringing attention once again to his freakish Pyjamas.

Roxas glared at his 'friend' for a moment, "you want me to do to you what I did to Xigbar back there?"

"Fine, calm down already." Axel chuckled again as he quickly changed the subject before Roxas had a royal fit. "Well, now that's settled... I think we better find someplace to lay low for a bit... Until things have a chance to blow over a bit." He glanced at Roxas who was now shooting him an I-told-you-so death glare, "How bout here?"

Roxas looked at the door that Axel was now pointing at. "Demyx's room?" Somehow in all their wanderings they had arrived once again to the first in their line of terrible pranks.

"Yeah, since he's running around telling everyone that his Sitar is eating people he won't be back without someone to help him... And who's going to believe him" Axel chuckled.

"Axel..." Roxas sighed, not even sure he wanted to get into it again, "maybe we should find Demyx and let him know everything's ok..."

"Why?" Axel blinked questioningly at his friend.

"It's gone too far... I don't think he can take this kind of stress... What if he gets really angry with us or something...? You know how sensitive he is..." Roxas was cut off before he could finish his rant of concern.

"Yeah, yeah, and he'll have some sort of mental break down and bring down horrible DOOM upon us all, blah blah blah..." Axel muttered as he opened Demyx's door and stood in the entryway. "I've heard it, Roxas..."

There was a strange sort of stillness that filled the air as that door opened. Quiet, almost peaceful; like the calm before a terrible storm. Axel stood, frozen in the doorway as he stared strait ahead into the room. A smaller Nobody was standing near the vacant stool and the neatly arranged sheet music that had been left untouched since the Musician had fled. The baseball bat that had been tossed during a fit of fear was now in this other Nobody's hands. It fell to his side with out a sound as he looked up from inspecting it. Their eyes locked as emerald green stared into dark blue... With a black ink monocle doodle.

"Well now..." Zexion's quiet voice dripped with a chilling malice, "fancy meeting you here..."

"What, what?" Both Marluxia and Larxene stood from looking under Demyx's bed, glancing around the room and then letting their gaze follow Zexion's.

Marluxia's eyes widened when his brain registered who was in the doorway, "ah YOU!!"

Axel 'meeped' slamming the door shut and leaning back against it. Roxas stared at him, unaware of the danger that was lurking within those quarters, "Axel? What happened? Is someone..."

"Run Roxas... Run as fast as you can... Run as if all the Underworld is on your heels...we're about to die..." Axel grabbed Roxas and spun him around, giving him a shove as he tried to bolt down the hallway.

"I don't run like that unless... What, is Namine in there? What's Namine doing in Demyx's room...?" Roxas resisted his friend, pushing back against the hands that were trying to shove him into a run.

"No, Roxas, it's not..." Axel paused as a frightful sound echoed down the hall.

The door nearly shattered, slamming to the ground with a deafening crash as it was ripped from its hinges from the sheer force of the kick that had been planted upon it. Marluxia stomped out onto the fallen door, "RUN FOOLS!! But you will not escape my WRATH!!" His hand shot up above his head as cherry petals swirled and danced in the air from his power; coming together forming what looked like the silhouette of a massive weapon. The tiny pink petals suddenly seemed to explode revealing his huge Scythe. "No one messes with my hair and lives..."

Roxas ran blindly when he heard the crash, afraid to even look around. After a few moments he finally managed to gasp out the question that was nagging his mind, "What happened... Axel? Who... Was there?"

"It was Marluxia, Zexion, Larx and Saix and I don't know what happened they must have believed Demyx But why..." Axel glanced behind him, nothing was there. His pace slowed slightly as his eyes remained fixed on the empty hallway behind him. There was nothing there. There was no enraged mob, or even the faintest sound of anyone following them, "I think we lost him..."

"AXEL" Roxas yelped the sound rang in Axel's ears forcing him to skid to a sudden stop, turning his head back around just as the tip of a large blade whipped past his nose.

"Marly YOU ALMOST TOOK MY HEAD OFF" Axel slowly started to back away from the enraged Nobody in the red lace bath robe before him.

"Aw, tsk... I missed, bad me." Marluxia chuckled as he swung his scythe behind him and readied another attack. "I assure you I will not miss again."

"Ah come on... Can't we like... Talk this over... Like civilized rational..." A strange smirk began to work its way across his face, "Man... You look like something out of Sailor Moon..." Axel snorted and ducked just as the large blade sliced the air over his head again. "Just less scary and more girly."

"ENOUGH You little wretch, I'm going to rip your head off and use your insides as mulch for the little fern I keep above my toilet "Marluxia snarled as he swung again, barely catching a few red hairs as Axel jumped backwards, just out of reach.

"Oooh I'm scared, don't let the scary lady in the red nightie hurt me Oooh" Axel feigned being terrified, a wicked grin plastered across his face.

"AXEL stop don't provoke him" Roxas danced around like a little kid that needed to find a bathroom, desperately trying to think of someway to stop the terrible disaster waiting to happen. "Marluxia, wait, he didn't mean it"

"Can it, shrimp, I am not in a forgiving mood right now." Marluxia snarled as he gracefully swung his scythe over his head once before letting it drop behind his back. He lifted his free hand, palm out towards Axel; the air before his open palm seemed to create a vacuum and then burst out into a vortex of swirling petals at his opponent, temporarily blinding him.

The air suddenly sizzled, the smell of burning cherry petals stung the senses of the three Nobodies as one of Axel's Chakrams spun before him in a ring of flames. The other soon appeared in his other hand as he gripped them both and swung them back and forth by his sides tauntingly as the flames he had sent forth died down.

Marluxia had held up his arm, protecting his face from the tongues of fire that had nearly singed him as they passed by. "You're a fool; if you have a chance to attack then you shouldn't play around and miss me like that." He lowered his arm, a wicked grin tugging at his lips.

"Who says I missed..." Axel chuckled then made a point of snuffing the air, "hmmm... Smells like barbequed cherries with a nice honey glaze." He winked.

Marluxia's blue eyes widened as he realized something wasn't quite right, he turned his head, catching sight of the ends of one of his perfectly beautiful layers as it smoldered, "MY HAIR You will PAY FOR THAT " Without hesitation Marluxia swung his scythe from behind and sent it flying at his tormentor.

Axel ducked as the Scythe spun over the top of his head, as he stood back up he chuckled, "Now that's a desperate move, you've lost your means to attack me... What are you going to do now, petal me to...? Death." His voice trailed off mid taunt, eyes scanning the battle field before him. Marluxia had disappeared.

"AXEL " Roxas yelled, catching his friend's attention, once again alerting him to an attack. Axel spun around just in time to see Marluxia, scythe in hand as he was flying toward him like some sort of avenging angel, strangely beautiful despite the sadistic grin that marred his face with hatred.

"ENOUGH" a loud deep voice commanded, bringing everything to a sudden halt.

Marluxia was snatched mid flight by a pair of strong arms pulling him back, his scythe ripped from his hand by the momentum he had been travelling against his body's sudden halt in speed. It clanked to the ground and spun a couple times before coming to a rest near Roxas' feet.

"Why did you stop me" Marluxia snarled behind clenched teeth as he struggled against the grip Saix had on him.

"We should not be fighting each other... This is senseless." Saix's voice lowered, but there was still a bite to it that told everyone he was teetering on the edge of Berserk once again, if it wasn't already obvious by the sheer strength he displayed by holding the enraged Assassin from his attack.

"Marluxia... Axel... Please... It's not worth killing each other over..." Roxas pleaded, eyeing Axel as he turned one of his chakrams around in his hand, still ready for the fight.

"I wasn't going to kill him, just maim him horribly." Marluxia spat, the anger still dripping from his words. "He can't get away with the things he's done to everyone"

"But his punishment is not up to us." Saix stated, glaring at Axel and then down at Marluxia.

"Like he could even touch me..." Axel chuckled, sending Marluxia into another enraged fit.

"Let me at him" The Graceful Assassin howled and fought to free himself.

Without a word Roxas snatched Axel by the arm and pulled him through a portal before any of the others had a chance to react. The swirling shadows closed as an enraged howl escaped Marluxia once again.

"Look at that, they got away because of YOU " He was finally able to twist his way out of the other Nobody's grasp, stumbling a few feet before coming to a stand still. He stood silently, trembling with the anger and adrenaline that had been rushing through him moments ago.

"Marluxia... Calm down already." A feminine voice sighed as Larxene walked up beside Saix, followed closely by Zexion.

The lack of insult and bite in her words startled him, forcing him to calm just slightly, "Don't tell me what to do, Woman." He turned and walked over to his scythe, picking it up and rubbing his thumb across some unseen smudge.

"I suggest we inform the Superior about that creature you were telling me about, and perhaps he knows where Demyx could be." Zexion's gentle voice echoed in the now silent hallway.

"Indeed, and he can decide on what should be done. Our job is done for now... There is nothing more we can do." Saix glanced at Marluxia as he waived his hand opening a portal before them.

Marluxia was still standing with his back to them, rubbing his fingers across invisible scratches on his weapon. He felt a presence suddenly standing close to him as a calm voice whispered in his ear, "I heard you... You said 'everyone'... I figured you weren't wasting that much energy over some honey in your shampoo... But really it all doesn't matter..." She paused, "especially your hair..."

"If you're trying to cheer me up you're doing a terrible job of it..." Marluxia's low groan was interrupted.

"Why should I care if you're happy or not, I'm just saying that there are more important things right now than petty vengeance and your hair?" Larxene chuckled as she reached out and flicked the singed edges of his hair that was hanging over his shoulder. "And you needed a trim anyway, Shaggy... I'm pretty good with a pair of scissors... If you're interested"

"Like I'd let you touch my hair..." Marluxia turned, reaching up and flicking one of her antennae like spikes of blonde hair, yet there was the faintest hint of a smile that was threatening his lips.

Marluxia paused before following Saix and Zexion into the portal, "We ARE going to report this... Right? I'll let go of the revenge thing only if we report this... And let Xemnas nail his butt to the wall..."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go tell Mommy on them for beating you up..." Larxene walked up behind him and gave him a shove to keep him moving.

"Hey" Marluxia snarled as the portal closed behind them.


	11. Pain in the Axel

* * *

**Chapter 11: Pain in the Axel**

Demyx is missing, and who knows what will happen considering the terrifying state of mind the Melodious Nocturne is in. And it seems that Xemnas has known all for quite some time... Will the Superior make a move to bring the insanity to an end?

A single ornately decorated lamp was shining brightly in the dark room, the soft glow through the stained glass shade was just enough to illuminate the paperwork and the two books spread across the desk, but nothing else. It seemed quiet here, dark and silent, a welcome retreat to all the chaos that was going on elsewhere.

At the edge of the desk a black-gloved hand slowly ran long slender fingers along the smooth wooden edge as an unseen figure walked around the corner of the desk. The dark cloaked man came to a slow stop as the hand that had been previously sliding effortlessly across the surface of the desk rested on his hips. The mysterious looking man leaned backwards until a dreadful crack broke the silence of the room; followed by a grunt of discomfort. He then sat heavily in the chair; an audible sigh of pain escaped his lips as he slowly lowered his head onto the cool surface of the desk. The gentle fingers of light were finally able to reach out and caress his tired face and the long silver locks of hair that had fallen over his closed eyes.

Xemnas sighed again as he slid one of his black gloves off, allowing it to fall to the floor between his feet. The sound this time was more like the sound of blissful happiness for someone who was in desperate need of rest. The pained look in his features softened as he slowly tapped the lamp with his finger shutting off its warm glow with a mere touch before letting his hand fall limply to the desk. Darkness surrounded him as his breathing began to slow, slipping unawares into a slumber right there on his desk.

This was a short-lived release of course.

The room suddenly flooded with light, forcing an agitated grunt from the Superior as he scrunched his eyes tighter and stiffly lifted himself back into a sitting position his lower back already telling him he was an idiot for doing such a thing. "What..." He tried to speak but couldn't. He also tried to blink, forcing his eyes to adjust to the sudden blinding white walls of his office.

A tall Nobody stood in the doorway, his hand on the light switch, still staring at his Superior with wide horror stricken golden coloured eyes. "I... I'm sorry, Sir, I didn't know you were trying to sleep..." Saïx sounded unusually startled.

"No... I wasn't. What is it?" Xemnas lied and then ushered the conversation along, trying to gather the shards of his dignity.

"I'm afraid we have a bit of a problem..." Saïx cleared his throat and stepped further into the room, only to be pushed forcefully the last couple of steps from behind.

"A BIT of a problem? Let's try a disgustingly HUGE pain in my backside." Marluxia snarled as he pushed past the much larger and stronger looking Nobody that stood in his way; marched up to Xemnas' desk and slamming a hand down on the surface to accentuate his irritation with the whole mess, "You have to do something about that... That... IDIOT that dares to call him self part of this Organization."

"If you are referring to Axel... I already know. Now, you may remove your hand from my desk." Xemnas stated bluntly.

"That's right, down boy." Larxene grunted as she grabbed Marluxia's bathrobe collar and pulled him away from the desk.

The tired sleep bubbles finally cleared from Xemnas' eyes as he eyed the group that now stood before him, his eye twitched as he took note of Marluxia's attire, "Marluxia... Why are you dressed like a woman?"

Marluxia tensed, the heat raising to his cheeks turning them the same colour as the bright red bathrobe he was wearing. His lip trembled slightly for just a second before his startled face distorted to anger as he readied to start up another rant.

A small hand shot up from nowhere, clamping down on his mouth and preventing him from making anything more than a muffled grunt, "It's a long story, Sir..." Larxene's lip curled into a sadistic grin.

"Actually, the reason we're here is to report that one of Vexen's experiments has been released and that Demyx has disappeared. It may be dangerous around here until we can safely secure the problem." Zexion's gentle voice echoed around the room, his hair was hiding most of his down turned face, while his left hand rested just over his left eye. To someone who didn't know better, it would have appeared that he was suffering from some sort of horrible migraine.

"I'll alert everyone about the creature in a moment, I suppose this has finally escalated to the point that I am forced to call a meeting. Thank you, Zexion. I need to..." Xemnas was suddenly interrupted once again by the Schemer, an occurrence that rarely ever took place.

"Actually, Sir, I was referring to Demyx..." With those words, the room suddenly fell to chilly silence.

A large empty space, shades of white and nothing else. No sound, no life it seemed; the only things that could be seen in the vast chamber were the tall throne-like seats of varying heights encircling the insignia of the Nobodies etched into the marble floor below. It was beautiful in its uniformity, and yet, this room held a sort of foreboding dread. It was a solemn place used for councils that were not usually pleasant in any sense of that word.

In the middle of the floor stood a lone figure, a large blue Sitar clutched to his chest as though he were afraid it was going to push him away suddenly and then disappear. He never made a sound, just stared down at the symbol below his feet. His gloved thumb was idly stroking the neck of the instrument as he stared on beyond the floor; submerged in his own thoughts. He wasn't alone with his inner voice for long, though. The air in the room shifted slightly as a portal of darkness, vastly contrasting against the white stone, opened and closed behind the two Nobodies that stepped out into cold room.

Roxas was watching his own toes as he took a couple quiet steps before slowing to a stop. "You know we're caught don't you? Once the Superior finds out..." His voice was nearly as muted as the few steps he had taken out into the room.

"They can't prove it was us." Axel's voice was considerably softer than normal.

Roxas sighed, turning back to look at his friend; he pondered his next words before actually voicing them, "Axel… Think about it, they've caught us! There are five of them and possibly others that can back them up. It's their word against ours, and Zexion's in the group… Who do you think Xemnas is going to believe? And then…" Roxas' voice trailed off as a guilt stricken expression flashed across his face, "and what about Demyx?"

Axel averted his gaze to the ground, anywhere but Roxas' eyes, "Aw, come on… It's Demyx. It's not like he'd hold a grudge, we can just smooth things over."

"You honestly think Demyx is going to be that understanding and forgiving, Axel? We made him think his Sitar was eating people, you know how touchy he is over that thing!" Roxas asked, knowing full well that he was starting to prick his companion's conscience.

"It's not my fault he jumped to that conclusion! He said it, I just went with it, got it…" Axel looked up, his words suddenly freezing in mid catch phrase.

Roxas glanced up into his friend's face; normally Axel wouldn't pass up any chance to use that line, but something had stopped him, drawing his gaze beyond Roxas. A sinking worried feeling pooled in the middle of the smallest Nobody's stomach as he turned, afraid that the others had already caught up with them.

Roxas turned; expecting the worst but instantly recognized their friend even from the back. He found himself wondering why his hair looked damp and out of place, normally Demyx wouldn't be caught dead looking like that. Yet right now the musician just looked so tired and so depressed, the complete opposite of what they had come to expect from his quirky personality.

There was a chilly silence that filled the room, a strange sort of suffocating tension hung in the air as Roxas took a couple of uneasy steps toward the Nobody. "Demyx… Are you ok?" He was nearly startled by his own voice, it sounded so soft and quiet in this vast room, against this unnervingly odd pressure.

Demyx's head was bent downward over the neck of his Sitar his cheek pressed against it as he embraced it. The invasion of a gentle voice interrupted his inner thoughts, making his shoulders twitch in reflex. This small movement was enough to tell the young Nobody that he had been heard.

The Melodious Nocturne turned slowly pulling his face back from the Sitar in order to glance over his shoulder at Roxas. A strange sort of emptiness seemed to dull his light blue eyes; his usually cheerful expression was absent, replaced with a vacant look of deep depression.

Axel smiled weakly and raised a hand in greeting, "Yo! Just the guy we were lookin' for..." Judging from the look on the Melodious Nocturne's face, he had a lot of smoothing over to do.

Demyx turned slightly, still holding his beloved Sitar close to his chest with his left arm as he slowly held out his right hand, revealing the little black radio in his open palm. His strangely sad expression shifted as something truly frightening smoldered behind his light blue eyes.

"Ooooh boy." Roxas gulped, his gaze darting from Demyx back to Axel.

"Oh! Um, about that... Look, man, I didn't..." Axel scratched the back of his head sheepishly as he spoke, only to be cut off abruptly.

"Didn't think I'd catch on?" The musician finished the sentence, pausing for just a moment before he continued. "Oh, yes, of course... Demyx is too stupid to catch on." His voice cracked with the anger that was threatening to spill over at any moment.

"Demyx, nobody ever said that!! We don't think you're stupid..." Roxas started trying to calm the dark storm clouds he could see rising, but his attempts were interrupted by Axel.

"More like… Highly gullible." Axel chuckled as Roxas slapped both hands over his face and groaned in defeat.

Demyx's eyes narrowed, his slender fingers curled in on the radio as it hissed and popped like water being poured over a heated metal plate. The casing cracked under the pressure sending sparks and steaming smoke into the air before he let the twisted box fall to the floor with a loud clank.

Without any warning a darkness portal opened beside the two dumbfounded Nobodies, Saïx stepped out just as Demyx let the small black box fall to the floor. The sound of the metal skidding to a stop just a few feet away from the enraged musician was the only noise that had been made at all, yet it was nearly deafening. Once again during this night, a startled look flashed across the Berserker's face as he took in the scene, "Demyx?"

More portals followed as more members of the organization appeared in the middle of this tense encounter. A meeting was about to be called, judging from all the Organization members that were suddenly appearing in the chamber.

Demyx glanced at the group out of the corner of his eye, darting from Saïx to Larxene for just a brief moment before he settled his gaze back on Axel. A strange feeling of relief had washed over him at the sight of the others, but his mind quickly told him that it was a stupid thought; they were never in danger in the first place. Anger soon took its hold on his mind once again, reminding him of all the things that had happened to him during the night; all the things that had been said to him. He clenched his teeth in determination; nothing was going to stop him from saying what he had to say now. "I… I thought my sitar had turned on me! People called me an idiot, and they wouldn't believe me. They even accused me of being a tweeker… Laughed at me… Ruined my hair… And all because of THAT!!" He pointed at the little box; his voice was small and shaky, but still laced with the pent up rage that was eating away at him.

Roxas raised his hand slowly in a comforting gesture as he took a step toward his friend, "Demyx…"

"I only have three words to say about all this..." Demyx stepped back; his tone was so unusually harsh; the sound sent a chill down the other Nobodies' spines and forced Roxas into a shocked stand still.

A distant look filled the Melodious Nocturne's eyes as his lips tightened into a thin line, his fingers tightened around the neck of the sitar as he held its sharp point outward toward the cause of all his pain and torment during this night. The stance was familiar, though rarely seen.

"Demyx... WAIT!!" Their superior started to command a halt to what he knew was about to happen but it was too late; nothing could stop something this powerful. It would be like trying to stand against a mighty tsunami.

Demyx swung around, the black leather of his uniform snapped out behind him as he pulling his beloved Sitar around with him until it was positioned like a guitar. A song, a command that sounded more like melody broke through air, but this command had never seemed as threatening as it did now,

"DANCE, WATER, DANCE!!"

Meanwhile, some distance away, a little shadow heartless was sitting on the edge of Memory's Skyscraper. His little yellow eyes sparkled in the darkness as he looked up at the heart shaped moon hanging peacefully in the sky behind the castle. A little sigh escaped him somehow as he took in the peaceful scene. But it was a short-lived peace, without warning a torrent of water gushed from every opening and broken window in the castle, as the screams of twelve Organization members shattered the silence of the dark morning. It fell to the ground like a raging white waterfall, filling the dark streets below and turning them into a treacherous river. The little heartless jumped up; running from one side of the roof to the other as the water rose ever higher. Other heartless and Neo Shadows were gurgling and struggling to climb higher in order to escaped the waters of pure rage. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the water's from the castle slowed and began to trickle off.

The little heartless' stolen heart pounded as he suddenly plopped to a sitting position. His little yellow eyes wide with horror as he tried to fathom what exactly had caused such a terrifying event to take place.

Within the castle, fountains of water had erupted all around the Melodious Nocturne. Water clones had danced out from their creator; laying havoc upon everything they came in contact with. The display of sheer power over his element had been like nothing any of the other members of Organization XIII had ever seen. It had been fast and precise, yet the blind torrential fury knew neither friend nor enemy. All fell before the Melodious Nocturne and his song of destruction.

The flood levels began to fall slowly, Demyx stood in the middle of the waist deep waters unfazed by the torrents that had engulfed everything. He rather liked the feeling of being surrounded by water; it made him feel calm and delightfully content. A strange sort of blissful smile spread across his lips as he pulled his sitar up and hugged it again, rubbing his cheek against it affectionately, "I knew you couldn't do something that evil, Baby, I'll never doubt you again..."

There was a sudden sputtering and coughing as Axel broke the surface of the water and gasped for air. He stood hunched over, dripping wet with his bright crimson hair plastered down and sticking to his neck and across his forehead. He looked very much like a drown rat now as he stood in silence for a moment, looking down through his crimson hair at his soaked coat and then his slightly steaming gloves. His emerald eyes widened as the image of what he was about to look like flashed through his mind. Only once before had he been so completely soaked and unprepared, his hair had changed from the beautiful crimson spikes of perfection to wild and frizzy like a horrible perm gone wrong. Not to mention the crusty feeling his clothes were about to take on at any moment due to the fast drying powers he naturally possessed.

The strangely tranquil scene erupted with the sound of a strangled scream "I'M WET!! I HATE BEING WET!! DEMYX!!" Axel glanced around wildly until his gaze fell on the content musician. "YOU!! You're going to pay for this... I'm going to..." He was interrupted by Demyx sticking his tongue out at him and then a sudden stinging pain shot through his arm as Roxas emerged from the water like some sort of commando and landed a punch to his shoulder.

"YOU DESERVED THAT!!" Roxas' voice cracked as he yelled; he pulled his hand back and rubbed his throbbing fist, "Now, knock it off!"

"But... But... YOU KNOW WHAT I LOOK LIKE WITHOUT A HAIR DRYER!!" Axel cried hysterically, morning the loss of his spikes of hair.

"The honey... It's gone..." A different voice grabbed the attention of the trio. Marluxia was running his hands through his now silky clean hair amazed at how soft and normal it now felt.

"Hey! And the little heart is gone from your nose!" Larxene pointed at Zexion's face, and then poked his nose, "Awwww... I miss it already..."

Zexion twitched and slapped her hands away, "I SAID DON'T TOUCH ME!!"

"Dude... That was just freaky... Where's my surf board when I need it?" Xigbar chuckled as he trudged and splashed past Demyx, slapping him on the back as he went by.

"You woke me for this?" Yet another deep voice echoed in the room as all eyes suddenly turned from Demyx to the toughest and strongest looking of the nobodies.

Lexaeus was standing in the now knee deep water, his light green pjs dripping wet and a soggy teddy bear dangling from his grasp. He reached up and pulled the soaking nightcap off his head as he turned to leave, "I'm going…"

"Woooaah waitaminute Big Boy!" Larxene sloshed up to him, reaching out and pushing him to a stop, "What's with the bear? Don't tell me a big tough guy like you sleeps with a teddy bear…"

Lexaeus remained silent for a quite some time, just staring at her with tired and uncaring eyes. He finally sighed, "Mr. Snuffles doesn't like being made fun of…" He stated flatly as he hugged the bear defensively.

Luxord just sat in the water, looking around dazed and confused. He had woken up earlier that morning to run to the bathroom, noticed that more people were awake than usual and then simply went back to bed. He had no idea what was going, why a meeting had interrupted his 'beauty' sleep, or what in world had brought such a ferocious display from the usually docile Number Nine. His thoughts suddenly froze as frightening thought struck him; he suddenly splashed patting the pockets in his own pyjamas until he hit a lump in his shirt pocket embroidered with a big 'L'. He fumbled and quickly fished out a pack of cards out of the pocket, "PHEW! Thought I lost them!" He chuckled, "Good thing I keep these babies in an air tight package!"

Saïx stood slowly; mentally he took note of how far Demyx had thrown him. He let a small smile twist across his face briefly as he stood watching the reactions coming from all his fellow organization members. Then he suddenly did something truly frightening; he burst into laughter right in front of everyone, "Well I guess Demyx set everything that was wrong back to normal."

Axel nervously glanced around the room, everyone was in such a good mood despite the damage, but he knew it wouldn't last long. He cleared his throat and then slowly started to back away towards the door, "Aw… Happy, happy all is well… And on that note, I think I'll be going now..."

"Not so fast, Flurry..." A deep voice whispered close to his ear as Axel tried to make his escape.

Axel turned, coming eye to eye with the Superior. Axel Squeaked falling backwards into the water again and scuttling backwards to put some distance between himself and the source of his impending doom. "But... But... I didn't... They can't..." He stuttered and then fell silent when he backed against something.

Axel felt under the water, he was definitely sitting on someone's feet now. He nervously glanced up; Light blue eyes sparkled mischievously back down at him as a twisted little smirk worked its way across Demyx's face.

Roxas inched closer to Demyx, "Kick him... "Roxas leaned to the side and whispered at him.

Axel shot Roxas a death glare, opening his mouth to pop off with something really harsh, only to be interrupted by the Superior.

Xemnas rubbed his forehead and then pushed his damp silver hair back out of his face, "Demyx... Are you perfectly sane now?"

"Yup..." Demyx answered as he hugged his Sitar tighter, smiling as he considered doing just what Roxas had suggested a moment ago.

"Good... Due to the fact that Demyx was driven to this madness by your silly little 'game' I will pardon all damage that was done. And since it seems to have set most of the other issues you all have with Axel right, we will consider this fair punishment." Xemnas glanced around the room, stopping on Zexion for a second.

A strange irritated look had flashed across the Cloaked Schemer's face, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared. "Does anyone have a problem with this?" Xemnas asked eyes on the Schemer.

Zexion never made a sound, he never argued with the Superior so he just looked away as all the others nodded in agreement.

"Well then, there is only one thing left." Xemnas' expression suddenly shifted from the stern almost unconcerned look to a considerably more irritated one. "I do not care about anything but this..." His voice suddenly had more bite to it now as he reached into his coat and pulled out a small object, an empty sticky Honey Bear rested in his palm. "Who... Is... Responsible... For... This?

All eyes fell on the little bear; bewilderment on all faces but one. Roxas' eyes widened with shock, his lip started to tremble as the memory suddenly came back to him.

"It must have come from Axel..." Marluxia finally broke the silence that had fallen, drawing Xemnas' frightening gaze upon himself.

"ME? Hey, I've been pardoned buddy so don't go trying to stir things up again!" Axel snarled as he jumped up, water dripping from his coat once again.

"Well you're the one that put HONEY in my shampoo! Obviously that little demonic thing is YOURS..." Marluxia snapped as he twirled around to face his 'enemy'.

"What's the problem? It's just a plastic bear?" Larxene's expression twisted into confusion, ignoring the fight that was on the edge of breaking out.

"Aw, Dude, it was SO funny! It was like something out of the three stooges, I kid you not!" Xigbar started laughing, barely able to continue the story, "We were at the Altar of Naught and this bear came flying out the window… BAM!! Hit Xemnas square in the middle of the forehead, knocked him backwards, and then he STEPPED on it and fell down, like, every flight of stairs in the castle." He paused, still chuckling as he glanced at Xemnas, "Dude, you so scream like a girl."

"I will shove this bear up your nose blunt end first if you do not shut up right now..." Xemnas stated through clenched teeth squeezing the bear around the neck until its head expanded from the built up pressure.

Xigbar let out one last snort and then suddenly fell quiet, "Yessir…"

"I want to know who is responsible for this… This... Flying bear… RIGHT NOW!" Xemnas eye twitched with anger.

Roxas breathing suddenly became erratic, his lip still trembling, as the silence all around him became deafening in his ears. He glanced nervously around at all the confused and silent Nobodies, inwardly wishing he could calm his nerves and act cool, but the heat in his cheeks refused to die down.

Demyx still held his sitar close, but the content smile had washed away again as he watched Roxas; guilt was written all over the smallest Nobody's panicked face. The musician glanced up at Axel; even from behind he could see that some inner turmoil was waging war within the other's mind but there wasn't going to be a conclusion any time soon. A faint sigh escaped him as he lowered his Sitar and looked up at the Superior just as his piercing glare was about to settle on the smallest of the Nobody's. Roxas was sure to be caught.

"It was me…" Not one, but two voices rang out suddenly, drawing all eyes to the source of the voices.

Axel turned, nervously eyeing Demyx as the other did the same.

"What are you doing?" Axel whispered.

"Me? What are YOU doing? You just got pardoned…" Demyx whispered back.

Roxas' confused gaze darted between the two, and then fell on back on Xemnas who was now glaring at the three of them.

"Two culprits? Very interesting." Xemnas' eyebrow arched, "I guess I'm supposed to think that you, Demyx, took the time from all your running around and panicking to stop by the window and chuck a little bear at me? Or perhaps that Axel would actually be stupid enough to dispose of his guilt through a window, and then promptly confess to it after he had been pardoned for his previous stupidity? You don't honestly expect me to believe that?" He paused for a moment before continuing, "Obviously you're both protecting someone, and judging from how you three are USUALLY together… I think I'm pretty safe in assuming it was our dear little Keyblade Master."

"I… I… I didn't... I didn't mean to!!" Roxas stuttered as he began to hyperventilate; his mind began to envision the horrible terrifying ways he could die at the hands of the Superior.

"Would it help if I said I chucked it at him and it bounced off his head and fell out the window?" Axel smiled, scratching his back of his head sheepishly once again.

"No…" Xemnas stated, eye twitching with irritation.

"Sorry man, we tried but you're gonna die…" Axel sighed as he slapped Roxas on the shoulder. He glanced over at Demyx just in time to see the musician's face twist into scary irritation again.

"Really, Sir… We have something in far more dire need of attention than this…" Vexen's voice suddenly cut through the tension that was starting to build up between Xemnas and the three friends.

"Shoosh!" Xemnas held his index finger up to silence the Scientist.

"BUT… The Creature…"

"Shoosh!" Once again the scientist was silenced, "I consider myself a fair and reasonable man, but my lower back is telling me through the agonizing shooting pains that are now travelling up my spine and settling into the back of my neck that I CAN NOT be fair and reasonable at this time… Someone is going to pay for this!" He pointed at his hip, the origin of his pain, and then continued with his ranting, "And all three of you are starting to try my patience so unless you want me to revoke my previous pardons, I suggest the two of you remain SILENT…" He paused looking at Vexen, "That goes for you too…" He added before clearing his throat and passing judgment upon the youngest of the Nobodies. "Roxas, for your display of disregard by chucking this… Bear... Out of the window I order you to clean this castle from top to bottom starting with Xigbar's room…"

"SWEET!! Can I make him wear a little French Maid outfit!? CAN I!?" Xigbar gleamed evilly at the thought of being able to humiliate the little monkey that had bit him earlier.

"What? I don't know… NO! This is a punishment not a humiliation." Xemnas rubbed the bridge of his nose as a small headache began to take over his brain.

"Aw, COME ON! HE BIT ME!!" Xigbar whined.

"FINE!! Whatever… And you will wear a French maid outfit while doing so…" Xemnas sighed.

"WHAT?! NO! I can't dress like a chick… Again…"Roxas paused as a frightening thought suddenly hit him, "Does that mean I have to clean…" Roxas was horror stricken, his thoughts suddenly falling on one Nobody he had NEVER wanted to let see something as humiliating as that.

"The blond little artist chick's room too! YES!! MUA HA HA HAAAA!!" Xigbar laughed.

"NOOOOOO!!" Roxas screeched in horror at the thought.

"And you will also have to clean the third floor bathroom…" Xemnas added.

"EEW! That's the one that hasn't been cleaned in ages!" Larxene wrinkled her nose, "And strangely people still use it… You guys are pigs… You know that? Pigs…"

"If I may continue without further interruptions…" Xemnas paused long enough to confirm that all would be silent. "That is the punishment for your disregard for your fellow Nobodies, unless I happen to state otherwise… Or by some freak accident I just happen to forget this whole miserable nightmare of a night… Which I doubt will ever HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

All the organization looked up at the Superior, each with a look of bewilderment at his sudden shriek. Xemnas' expression suddenly shifted from stern to shock to pain in just a matter of seconds. "Something… Is biting me..." He grimaced as he turned to the side, looking behind him as much as he could.

The nasty horrible little experiment was dangling by its teeth, which had ripped through the black leather of his uniform and were now sunk securely into the soft flesh of Xemnas' behind.

"That would be my experiment that I was trying to warn you about, Sir…" Vexen sighed.

Demyx snorted, "Well at least it wasn't me this time..." He whispered just loud enough for Axel and Roxas to hear.

"Please, tell me that this… This… Thing… Is NOT poisonous and about to kill me…" Xemnas painfully growled through clenched teeth.

"Of course it's not going to kill you, heh heh." Vexen chuckled nervously before turning and whispering to Zexion, "It's going to put him into a temporary death like coma and then he'll wake up with a horrendous hangover and memory loss and proceed to vomit his insides out for the next week."

"What was that?" Xemnas suddenly got worried, "I heard Coma? And hangover…What… Did… Y.y…Yy …Eeeww" the superior suddenly passed out falling forward with the creature still clinging to his backside.

"TO THE INFIRMARY!!" Vexen called out as though he were Batman looking for the Batmobile.

With out a word Lexaeus shoved his teddy bear down his shirt like a kangaroo so it dangled its front arms and head out like little Joey. Quickly running up to the fallen Superior, picking him up, and tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Quickly, my good man, before the acids in its saliva begins to eat away at the flesh…" Vexen stated as they disappeared into a portal.

"DUDE!! Does this mean I can call him SCAR BUTT?! Sweeeeeet!" Xigbar giggled like a schoolgirl as an evil glint sparkled in his eye.

Marluxia stood slack jawed, slowly he shook his head and then looked over at Larxene, "That… Could have been ME earlier! What if that had happened to me?!"

"Oh calm down, ya big baby…" Larxene snorted, walking over and patting him on the cheek, "maybe some French Toast will make it all better, eh?"

Marluxia went from trembling and crying with the fear of what MIGHT have happened to him, to sudden interest in what was said, "French toast? Ooh, I'm coming with you!!"

Roxas watched in dismay as the Organization members began to trickle out of the room one by one. He sighed, "What am I going to do now?"

Demyx reached out and patted Roxas on the shoulder, "I could clean Namine's room if you want, we'll just not say anything about who actually did what."

"Aw, well isn't that sweet, Demyx forgives us and is willing to help you out." Axel chuckled but it quickly faded when Demyx shot him another death glare.

"Vexen said something about memory loss." Zexion stated when he heard the offer, then turned to face the Trio, "Depending on how much he remembers and if anyone says anything… I think you just got off the hook, Roxas."

Roxas' eyes widened as the words sunk in "Wait... You mean he may not remember about the bear or the punishment?"

"I doubt it." Zexion answered.

"And the pain from the injuries could be associated with the bite, not falling down a flight of stairs." Saïx's voice called from behind Zexion as he joined the conversation.

"So the only one that cares enough to remind Xemnas of the punishment would be Xigbar, and I seriously doubt the Superior will listen to the likes of him." The Cloaked Schemer smirked.

"So if you three know what's good for you, I say get out of here and act normal." Saïx added before opening a darkness portal and disappearing from their sight.

"Well we just got pardoned again! Let's be off before something else goes wrong…" Axel nervously smiled as he pushed Demyx and Roxas along.

"Roxas, wait… There's something I want to ask you about." Zexion called before the three could disappear into the portal.

Roxas stopped watching his two friends disappear into darkness before he turned and walked back to Zexion, "What is it?"

"Well…." Zexion smiled faintly.

There was a dense pressure in the hallway; its weight pushed into the room as the Melodious Nocturne stomped inside, slamming his bedroom door behind him only to have it bounce off the Nobody that was following closely on his heels.

"Aw, come on… I didn't mean it Demyx, honestly." Axel caught the door before it could smash his face in. He stepped inside shaking his stinging hand as he continued his plea, "I was just messing with you. I didn't know that you were going to be that g… I mean that it would blow up like that and get all outta hand."

"I'm not going to forgive you that easily… Roxas is right, you're a jerk!" Demyx turned away, nose in the air as he pouted.

Axel stopped in the middle of the room staring at Demyx; his bewildered look suddenly shifted, "I get it now! You're just MAD!"

Demyx twitched as he laid his Sitar down on its stand, his attention suddenly focused on the Nobody across the room, "Well Duh! Did you think of that one on your own or did Roxas have to help you with that?"

"Nice…" Axel chuckled, a genuine grin flashed across his face. I knew you could get a sharp tongue when you wanted to." He snickered as he continued to explain, "But that's not what I meant. You're mad because we didn't include you!"

"I what? Nuh-uh!" Demyx huffed and turned away again.

"How bout this, I promise that next time we plan something, you can come with us." Axel smirked evilly.

"Next time? Haven't you learned anythi…" Demyx paused, as he turned back, startled at the sudden close proximity of his friend and the red flask that was now shoved under his nose. "What's that?"

"I don't know, but it might be fun to find out." Axel winked, fingering the red glass "Right, Roxas?" He turned looking back at the small Nobody that was standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, whatever." Roxas grunted.

"Aw, lighten up! Everything is fine now." Axel sighed, "We got away with some great pranks, we were pardoned without too much pain, I mean my hair is a royal nasty mess now but that's fixable" Axel fingered a lock of frizzy crimson hair that had fallen before his eyes, "and Demyx finally got vent some of that pent up frustration." He elbowed the musician.

"Don't touch me; I'm still mad at you." Demyx glowered as he unzipped his coat and shrugged it off his shoulders, tugging at the white tank top that was now sticking to him from the previous drenching. "And get out of my room, I'm tired." He tried to growl, but threatening noises didn't normally sound so threatening from the Melodious Nocturne. He ran his hand over his soaked coat; the water seemed to be drawn from the black leather like material, gathering into ball before his palm where he promptly tossed it aside to splash against the white marble floor.

"Aw come on, how can you be tired after all that excitement?!" A stupid yet mischievous grin ran across the red head's face as he spoke, "I must admit that was pretty intense. You really know how to put the fear in people, man." Axel chuckled.

Demyx scratched the back of his head, a slight embarrassed blush streaked across his cheeks, "Well…" The musician smiled as he opened his closet to hang up his now perfectly dry coat. There was a moment of silence as he stared into the dark cramped space he slowly glanced at Roxas and then back into the closet. Something was there, something that shouldn't be there.

"I must point out though… You said you only had three words to say. Dance, Water, Dance is actually only two words, one being repeated. But I suppose that could slide…" Roxas interjected, catching Demyx with his eyes.

The Melodious Nocturne's face suddenly drained of all colour for just a brief moment as he stared at the little Nobody that had just spoken to him. He instantly knew the truth, that being was not Roxas. Roxas just didn't make observations like that, and no matter how crabby the boy could get, he NEVER had that kind of chill to his words.

"Hmmm... Yeah I guess that's true..." A confused look flashed across Axel's face for a moment.

Demyx glanced at Axel for a brief moment, inwardly wondering how Axel could be fooled so easily. His gaze then went back to the 'thing' that was sitting tied and gagged in his closet. "Um…" A thought hit him; this Nobody was intentionally letting him know. He wanted to get Demyx out of the way.

An evil glint flashed in Roxas' eyes as he stepped out of the doorway, nodding for Demyx to make his exit out the door quickly.

"I gotta go… I, uh, left… The water running in my bathtub." He stuttered as he threw his coat over some strange object in his closet and then clumsily gathered it up before stumbling for his bedroom door. His awkwardly puffy coat tucked under one arm like a sack of flour; a strange looking cord was trailing behind him as he fumbled with the doorknob.

"What? The entire castle is water damaged? You think a little tub water is going to make THAT big of a difference? And isn't your bathroom right… " The door slammed behind the musician, cutting Axel off before he could finish his little observation. Axel snorted and then looked back at Roxas, "What got into him? And what was that? It looked like he was toting a body out of here…"

"Hmmm, whatever could it have been? Perhaps, he saw a ghost, or he has skeletons in the closet maybe? Or perhaps…" Roxas' blank expression finally shifted to that of an evil little smirk, his dark blue eyes sparkled with amusement "he was smart…"

A strange chill ran down Axel's spine as he realized something was amiss. This was not his little buddy, and this was not the sort of situation he favoured. "Aaaah I know that voice… And those chilly dark eyes…" The taller Nobody chuckled nervously, "Wow, you're good. You almost have that Roxas illusion down to the point that even I can't tell…" He chuckled then suddenly turned for the door, "and I think I'll be going now…"

Axel had turned to beat a hasty retreat only to come face to face with Zexion, "What the... Where... You were…" He glanced behind him where the Roxas look-alike had been.

"Yes, yes I'm amazing… And you… You're going to pay for what you did to my face." Zexion snarled.

Meanwhile in the hallway, Demyx was leaning slightly over the unknown lump of whatever he had dragged out of his closet. He carefully pulled a string here and gave a careful tug there as his coat and a massive amount of cording slipped away and gathered at the bare feet of the true Roxas.

The youngest nobody blinked a couple times, still stunned by what had happened. His confused gaze locked with Demyx's for a moment before he was finally able to find his voice. "I don't know what happened… One minute I was talking to Zexion and then the next thing I knew I was tied and gagged and sitting there in your closet…" His panicked breathing finally began to steady as he looked around, his senses returning ever so slowly.

"I think…" Demyx started to speak, but an ear-shattering scream silenced his words.

Both of them stared at the closed door for a moment, "I think Axel is getting his comeuppance…" Demyx finally whispered.

"Zexion?" Roxas asked, the pieces finally coming together in his mind.

"Yeah…" Demyx nodded; then he slowly glanced at his small companion, "Should we… Help him? I mean, Zexy is going to beat his face in with a big book I think."

They both stood silent for what seemed like an eternity of deep thought; listening to the battle being waged on the other side of the door. Suddenly they both broke the silence, "Naaaaaaah!" They vocally agreed in unison.

Roxas scratched his head, ruffling up his already horribly mussed hair; yawning as he did so, "I'm hungry… Let's go."

"Okies!" Demyx chirped happily as he started to follow the Key Bearer down the hallway, leaving Axel to fend for himself against the unseen horrors of the Cloaked Schemer. He slowed after a couple steps, glancing back at his door while an evil little smirk twisted across his lips, "That's what you get... For being such a pain in the axel..."

**The End**


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